Cameron and Wilkie earns silvers as Canada wins four medals at Para-Nordic World Cup
By The Canadian Press on December 14, 2022.
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. 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 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. 18-17
