Mark Arendz was the second fastest qualifier and finished fifth overall in the Canmore ParaNordic World Cup classic standing sprint competition on Tuesday (Dec. 10) at the Canmore Nordic Centre.
Although his strength is in biathlon, Arendz proved he’s fast enough to compete with the best para-athletes in the world with the impressive result.
“It was a good day. I had awesome skis. We broke down the race course in the morning into simple parts and focused on the race plan,” Arendz said.
He surprised the field when he finished second in the qualifiers, but Arendz said it’s the result of hard work. “It was a bit of a shock almost. The work I put in paid off in the qualifier.”
He was in second for most of the final, but faded on the final climb.
“If it was a little steeper, I might have had it,” Arendz said. “I was running a little low. I’ve gotta build the snap in and prepare for the weekend.”
Russia’s Vladislav Lekomtoev won gold, followed by Finland’s Ilkka Tuomisto and Rushan Minnegulov, also of Russia.
In the end, Arendz was happy with his race.
“The technique and form is coming for classic. I’m happy with the race and will see what I can do later in the year.”
He’ll now refocus on the ParaNordic biathlon races on Dec. 14, 15 and 17, where he’ll be a medal favourite.
Canmore’s Chris Klebl finished fourth in the sit-ski sprint final. He said he’s still trying to find his form in order to peak at the Paralympic Games in Sochi.
“The speed isn’t quite there yet. Everything is targeted toward Sochi. We’re moving in that direction. It will come eventually,” Klebl said. “(Going into the race) I honestly didn’t have a goal. I just wanted to get a few more starts in.”
Competing in her first world cup, 20-year-old Brittany Hudak made the A final for Canada. She’s only skied for two years, so she was happy to get the experience.
“I did my best and that’s all you can really do. I’m racing against the best in the world, so any result is a bonus,” Hudak said. “My goal was just to go all out and try the best I can to maintain my technique.”
Hudak met Canadian sit ski veteran Colette Bourgonje two years ago. They started training together and the path led her to the world cup. This is the first time the Saskatchewan native has raced in Canmore and she’s learned tons watching the international athletes.
“Racing (a world cup) means a lot. The fact I can race here is an amazing opportunity,” Hudak said.
The ski races wrap up on Thursday (Dec. 12) with the 15 km, while the biathlon races continue on Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday with visually impaired, sitski and standing races.
