After a review of the finish photos, the Beauceron Éliot Grondin won the silver medal in the snowboard cross event at the Beijing Olympics on Thursday.
Austrian Alessandro Haemmerle crossed the finish line a few centimeters before Grondin in a crazy race and won the gold medal. The Italian Omar Visintin completed the podium.
Grondin, only 20 years old, took 36th place at the Pyeongchang Games. The bronze medalist at the last Snowboard Worlds finished first in qualifying with a time of 1:16.29 minutes.
Austrian Julian Lueftner finished just off the podium.
Canadian Liam Moffatt (13th fastest time in qualifying) was surprised in his round of 16 heat and was eliminated by Austrian Alessandro Haemmerle (4th time) and American Mick Dierdorff (20th time).
Aged 24, Moffatt is participating in his first Olympics. He finished eighth at the 2021 Worlds, presented to Idre Fjall, Sweden.
The other Canadian in the running, Kevin Hill of Vernon, BC, was also eliminated in the round of 16. He obtained the 26th qualifying time.
A 35-year-old veteran, Hill is in his third Games. He finished eighth in Sochi and 14th in Pyeongchang. Hill won silver at the 2015 Worlds and bronze two years later. He finished in 15th position in 2021.
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