Canada's Éliot Grondin wins World Cup silver at snowboard cross event in China
Sainte-Marie, Que., native rebounds after disappointing season opener in Italy
Snowboard cross racer Éliot Grondin climbed the podium of a World Cup event on Saturday in Dongbeiya, China.
Austria's Jakob Dusek finished ahead of Grondin in the big final to claim gold and Australia's Adam Lambert took bronze.
Grondin, who won a world championship title and captured the men's Crystal Globe as the overall leader on the World Cup circuit last year, earned his first podium of the season and the 26th of his career.
The 24-year-old from Sainte-Marie, Que., won a snowboard cross silver and a mixed team bronze at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The men's snowboard cross event at the Milan Cortina Games takes place Feb. 12 in Livigno, Italy.
Saturday's result moved Grondin into second place in the overall discipline standings with 116 points, four behind Lambert. Dusek sits third overall, three points back of Grondin.
The only other Canadian in the competition, Evan Bichon of North Vancouver, B.C., was eliminated in the round of 16. No Canadian advanced past the qualification round in the women's event.
It was a rebound performance for reigning world champion Grondin, who finished seventh at the season-opening World Cup event in Italy last month.
Action continues in Dongbeiya on Sunday, which is the final World Cup event before the Milano Cortina Winter Games. That's where Grondin is aiming to add a gold medal to the silver and bronze medals he earned at Beijing 2022.
Live coverage of Sunday's event begins at 12 a.m. ET on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.
With files from The Canadian Press
