Canada Shines at the Milan Cortina Olympics: Day 6 Recap & Sofia Samodelkina Updates

MILAN – Day 6 of the Milan Cortina Olympics saw Canada add to its medal tally, securing two silver and one bronze medal. From thrilling snowboard cross action to nail-biting speedskating finishes, Canadian athletes delivered memorable performances. While Sofia Samodelkina wasn’t directly involved in today’s medal wins, the overall Canadian performance continues to captivate audiences worldwide.

Snowboard Cross: Eliot Grondin Claims Silver

Snowboarder Eliot Grondin added another silver to Canada’s collection in the men’s snowboard cross. He finished just behind Austria’s Alessandro Haemmerle, marking his third Olympic medal. This was a repeat of the Beijing 2022 final, where Haemmerle also took gold.

“A lot of emotion, for sure,” Grondin said. “Sharing the podium with Haemmerle again… it’s been tight with him, but he’s been one of my biggest rivals since I started racing snowboard cross at a high level. We came here for gold, but at the same time, I rode as good as I could today. I had fun, silver it is and I can be happy with my week.”

Freestyle Skiing: Mikael Kingsbury’s Close Call

Freestyle skiing star Mikael Kingsbury narrowly missed gold in the men’s moguls, settling for silver after a tiebreaker. Australia’s Cooper Woods took gold, matching Kingsbury’s score of 83.71 but receiving higher marks for turns.

“I feel amazing. I’m very happy with my skiing. It was close, a tiebreak – unfortunately, I’m the guy not on the good side of it. But I’ve worked very hard for this medal,” Kingsbury said.

Speedskating: Courtney Sarault Secures Bronze

Courtney Sarault captured bronze in the women’s 500 metres, finishing in 42.427 seconds. She edged out the Netherlands’ Selma Poutsma, adding to her silver medal from the mixed team relay.

“It feels surreal. Honestly, the 500-metre wasn’t always my strongest distance and I worked really, really hard this summer, and my coach trusted me when I said I wanted to be a girl of all distances and not be categorized in the longer distances,” said Sarault. “The fact that in 2023 I was questioning if I was done with this sport, and now I’m on the podium, it’s just crazy.”

Other Canadian Highlights

• Men’s 1,000m Speedskating: William Dandjinou finished fourth.
• Women’s 10km Cross-Country Skiing: Alison Mackie finished eighth.
• Men’s Hockey: Canada defeated Czechia 5-0, led by Macklin Celebrini and Jordan Binnington.
• Women’s Hockey: Canada bounced back with a 5-0 win over Finland.
• Women’s Snowboard Halfpipe: Elizabeth Hosking finished 11th.

Canada concluded Day 6 with a total of seven medals (three silver, four bronze). The team continues to demonstrate resilience and determination as the Milan Cortina Olympics progress. For more information on the Olympics, visit the official Olympic website.

Stay tuned for further updates on Sofia Samodelkina and the Canadian team’s journey at the Milan Cortina Olympics!