(Montreal) It was not with joy that Quebecer Alexis Guimond climbed onto the third step of the podium at the Para-Alpine Ski World Cup, in Veysonnaz. Unsatisfied with his descents, he had difficulty mastering the Swiss course which was damaged due to weather conditions.
The thermometer exceeded 5 degrees Celsius on Monday and the giant slalom track suffered, according to the bronze medalist in the standing category. Guimond finished his first run in 58.09 s and while he said he lacked aggression at the start of the day, he adjusted in the second run. However, the new track had deteriorated and Guimond posted a time of 58.52 s.
“The day was quite warm, the snow softened and it created some rough spots on the course. Really difficult and complex conditions,” Alexis Guimond told Sportcom.
“My approach was less aggressive than usual. I was pushing less in the top section and had difficulty generating speed on the flat. »
His cumulative time of 1 min 56.61 s placed him in third place, 4.37 seconds behind the winner, Swiss Robin Cuche. Frenchman Arthur Bauchet earned the silver medal, finishing 27 hundredths of a second behind the winner.
This is a sixth medal in as many World Cup events this season for Alexis Guimond. His collection includes one gold medal, two silver and three bronze medals. A second giant slalom will be presented on Tuesday in Veysonnaz. Slalom and super-G races will follow later this week.
“My expectations are still high and I know that I am capable of finding myself at the top of the podium, as I did earlier this season. I will give a better effort on Tuesday and push my limits,” he concluded.