VUOKATTI, Finland — Collin Cameron of Bracebridge, Ont., and Natalie Wilkie of Salmon Arm, B.C., both earned silver medals as Canada won four medals on Wednesday at a Para-Nordic World Cup event.
Cameron and Wilkie won in the men's and women's 10-kilometre individual-start classic-ski races respectively.
Brittany Hudak of Prince Albert, Sask., finished behind Wilkie for bronze in their discipline.
Lyne-Marie Bilodeau of Magog, Que., added her second World Cup medal of her career, claiming bronze in the women's sit-ski race.
Canada has won 15 medals this week at the event in Vuokatti, Finland.
Coming off gold and silver-medal performances earlier in the week, Cameron powered his way around the four loops of the Vuokatti Nordic venue to clock a second-place time of 26 minutes 28.5 seconds.
“My goal today was to just pace the hills well and try to be very mindful of where other athletes are,” said Cameron. “There are lots of places where you just can’t pass competitors or ski side-by-side because there is literally no room. It was all about pace and racing smart. I’m really happy to be on the podium again.”
Italy’s Giuseppe Romele won in 26:28.5 and Yerbol Khamitov, of Kazakhstan, skied to third place at 28:14.1.
Development skier, Ethan Hess of Pemberton, B.C., had one of his strongest performances on the World Cup, placing 10th with a time of 32:05.0.
Wilkie grabbed her fourth medal of the week, and third silver in the cross-country skiing disciplines. The 21-year-old skied to a second-place pace throughout the 10-kilometre course and finished in 34:44.5.
“It was another good day for me, and everything lined up for a great race: good conditions, fast skis, ideal grip wax,” said Wilkie. “I feel that I’m skiing with more confidence at the World Cup level and getting more consistent race results than in years past.”
It was the 15th World Cup podium for the two-time Paralympian in just five years competing on the Para-Nordic World Cup. A winner of seven Paralympic medals, Wilkie also has two world championship podiums and won her first career biathlon competition on Tuesday.
Hudak reached the podium for a second straight day, skiing to the bronze medal with a time of 35:16.2. Hudak finished second to Wilkie on Tuesday in the 12.5-kilometre biathlon event in Vuokatti – a race she also finished third at in the last two Paralympic Games.
Norway’s Vilde Nilsen edged the Canadians out for top spot on the podium, winning with a time of 34:17.8.
Bilodeau captured her second medal of the week, and her career, with a time of 40:05.9.
Germany’s Anja Wicker won at 33:03.9. South Korea’s Yunji Kim was second at 39:29.9.
Jesse Bachinsky of Kenora, Ont., and his guide Levi Nadlersmith of Boissevain, Man., teamed up for a seventh-place finish in the men’s visually impaired classification in a time of 37:04.2.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 14, 2022.
The Canadian Press
