ÖSTERSUND, Sweden – Here’s an update on the status of Mark Arendz’s post-surgery racing ability: it’s still damn good.
There had been consideration that the 32-year-old world champion might have came into the 2023 Para Nordic Skiing World Championships with an optimistic outlook to see how things go following off-season surgery on both heels.
However, the razor-focused Arendz looked as sharp as ever on two skis, and won three gold medals and a silver at the only major Para nordic skiing event this season, bringing his total world championship medal total to a rather impressive 19.
“We were uncertain where I would be and what kind of speed that would equate to – fortunately, it was very good,” said Arendz, a Hartsville, P.E.I native.
“I was really able to focus on the races and bring out the points I needed to and perform on those days.”
The shooting and skiing sport of biathlon is Arendz’s strongest event, which showed in Östersund, Sweden, from Jan. 18-29 when the towering six-foot-four Canuck won gold medals in the 10-kilometre and 12.5-km races, and silver in sprint. And with each gold, Arendz let out a signature mighty roar across the finish line.
He also captured gold in the men’s 10-km standing cross-country skate – a massive milestone for Arendz as it is his first gold at a major cross-country championship.
He suspects an adjusted training routine to accommodate his surgeries had something to do with it. Arendz has had a single focus on skating and technical aspects since he began training last August.
“I think part of what’s going this year is I haven’t been able to classic ski,” said Arendz.
“I never quite focused a lot of skate races, and, in particular, 10-K’s because that was always a race I was never quite good at. My strength was my shooting, I was always consistent with skiing but never the top skier and that changed this year a lot.”
Last off-season saw considerable changes for Canada’s Para Nordic ski team – mostly on the coaching side – such as long-time coach Robin McKeever moving over to coaching the national ski team, while new staff and coaches Brian McKeever, Bjorn Taylor, and Menno Arendz join the management team.
Menno, who is the brother of the 19-time world championship medallist, started with the team in October as its new biathlon coach.
It’s the first time the Arendz brothers have worked together as athlete and coach.
“We’ve always worked together as brothers,” said Arendz. “We started training and working together, pushing together whether it was the skis and later on the shooting, but having Menno there as part of the staff and actual biathlon coach is the first time we were at our first major event world championship, so that was kind of special as well to be able to share in some of those moments.”
Menno was part of Canada’s coaching staff that saw the team’s best-ever 16-medal haul at a world championships, watching pupils and his brother excel on the course.
“It’s kind of a surreal moment to be that coach, and yet, still want to feel that pride for your brother,” said Menno. “You celebrate in the moment, but then you have to go back to your job. You have to compartmentalize a little bit and be like, ‘OK, we still have shooters in the race, we got to do this and celebrate later with everyone.’”
