In our nation’s first crack at hosting the World Para Nordic Skiing Championships, Collin Cameron was clutch on Day Three with Canada’s first gold.
The Barrie, Ontario native crossed the finish line first in the Men’s Sitting Cross-Country Sprint on Monday (Feb. 18) at the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club in Prince George.
Not only is it his second medal of the championships, but it’s the 30-year-old’s first world title of his illustrious career.
.@CDNParalympics have their 1st Gold Medal 🥇 at the 2019 World @ParaNordic Championships in #PrinceGeorge!! Collin Cameron wins the Men’s Sitting Cross-Country Sprint, his 2nd medal on home soil after capturing 🥈 on Day 1 🎿 | #CityOfPG @2019WPNSCH @OtwayPG @PGMatters https://t.co/meeeeAIYGx
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) February 18, 2019
“It’s incredible. I was thinking about this since coming fourth in the sprint races at the [PyeongChang 2018 Winter] Games. I wanted this really bad,” Cameron said in a news release, adding the home crowd kept him going as fast as he could.
“It’s extra special for sure. You’ve got all this crowd, the volunteers, the locals out here cheering for you. It gives you a little bit of power that you might need to cross the line.”
Cameron took home the silver medal on Day One (Feb. 16) in the Men’s Biathlon Middle distance race, adding to the three bronze he won at the 2018 Paralympics in South Korea a year ago.
His win on Family Day brings the host country’s medal total to four after Mark Arendz captured the silver in Men’s Standing Cross-Country Middle distance race on Sunday (Feb. 17) for his second podium finish in Prince George.
.@markarendz gets his 2nd medal at the 2019 World @ParaNordic Championships in #PrinceGeorge & the 3rd for 🇨🇦 @CDNParalympics! It’s a silver 🥈 in Men’s Cross-Country Middle distance race 🎿 | #CityOfPG @2019WPNSCH @OtwayPG @PGMatters https://t.co/t8fwzXeXsa
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) February 17, 2019
Canada now has one gold, two silver, and one bronze with four more days of competition left.
Natalie Wilkie settled for a fourth-place finish in the Women’s Standing Cross-Country sprint yesterday, which is the second time the 18-year-old has just missed out on a medal at the 2019 World Para Nordics.
Ukraine leads all nations with 19 medals (three gold, eight silver, eight bronze) followed by the United States with eight (three gold, four silver, one bronze).
Today (Feb. 19) is a designated training day for the athletes; competitions resume tomorrow (Feb. 20) with the biathlon sprints.
It's a GOLD for 🇨🇦's Collin Cameron. Watch today's highlights of World Para Nordic Championships in Prince Georges, BC. pic.twitter.com/BxmwIxZnGz
— CDN Paralympic Team (@CDNParalympics) February 19, 2019
