Quebecer Eliot Grondin wins silver in snowboard cross in Italy

Canada's Eliot Grondin competes in a men's snowboard cross heat at the Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

CHIESA IN VALMALENCO, Italy — Quebecer Eliot Grondin won the silver medal at the Snowboard Cross World Cup in Chiesa in Valmalenco, Italy on Saturday.

Grondin, from Saint-Romuald, was only beaten in the super-final by the Dutchman Glenn de Blois. The Italian Lorenzo Sommariva completed the podium in the first snowboard cross competition this season.

It marked the 19-year-old's second podium finish on the World Cup circuit, following his second-place finish in Big White, Canada on Jan. 25, 2020.

Following Grondin, fellow Canadians Kevin Hill, Liam Moffatt, Evan Bichon and Colby Graham finished 46th, 57th, 63rd and 65th, respectively.

Grondin is now ranked second in the discipline with 80 points, 20 less than Blois.

In the ladies' category, the event was won by Italian Michela Moioli, ahead of American Faye Gulini and Czech Eva Samkova.

Canadians Meryeta Odine, Audrey McManiman, Carle Brenneman, Zoe Bergermann, Kennedy Justinen and Haili Moyer finished in the 17th, 22nd, 27th, 29th, 42nd and 43rd places, in order.

-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2021.