Mark Arendz Skis to Silver at IPC World Cup in Norway

LILLEHAMMER, Nor.–Mark Arendz will ski into the holiday break with a silver medal around his neck.

The eight-time Paralympic medallist from Hartsville, P.E.I. captured his first biathlon podium of the season on Thursday in Lillehammer, Norway where he finished second in the men’s 7.5-kilometre sprint with a time of 20:12.8.

“I think yesterday’s effort helped me today,” said Arendz, who was fourth in a 15-kilometre distance race on Wednesday. “I was able to put more power down and charge throughout the course more efficiently.”

The 29-year-old shot clean for the second straight day to finish 10 seconds off the leading pace set by Ihor Reptyukh, of the Ukraine (20:02.6). Like Arendz and Reptyukh, Norway’s Nils-Erik Ulset was also clean on the range and finished third at 20:13.1.

“The range was great. I was very confident there and have set a high bar in terms of shooting,” added Arendz, who also had a bronze medal in the cross-country ski short distance race last week. “The skis were great again today. We had a fantastic team here in Lillehammer all week. Overall, it has been a terrific start to the new season.”

Two Canucks hit the line for the women’s standing classification. Brittany Hudak, of Prince Albert, Sask., dropped to sixth spot after missing one shot in her last of two rounds on the range. Hudak clocked-in at 25:48.3.

Natalie Wilkie, of Salmon Arm, B.C., was eighth at 26:26.8 (1+1).

Ukraine’s Liudmyla Liashenko won the division with a time of 23:46.7 (0+1).

Derek Zaplotinsky, of Smoky Lake, Alta., was seventh in the men’s sitting short distance biathlon race. Zaplotinsky posted a time of 18:51.5 after shooting clean.

Ivan Golubkov, of Russia, won the gold with a time of 16:40.4 (0+0).

Complete Para-Nordic Results: https://www.paralympic.org/nordic-skiing/live-results/info-live-results/NS1N19/eng/zz/engzz_general-general-schedule.htm

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