Canadian Paralympic roundup: Mark Arendz captures 1st biathlon gold

Canada's Mark Arendz claimed the first Paralympic biathlon gold of his career by winning the men's 15-kilometre standing race at the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The medal was the fourth of the Games for the 28-year-old from Hartsville, P.E.I., after earning silver and bronze in earlier biathlon events and a cross-country sprint bronze. Arendz now owns six career Paralympic medals.

Arendz was finally able to secure the gold medal that has eluded him thus far in his Paralympic biathlon career, capturing gold in the men's 15km standing race. 0:43

Arendz crossed the finish line in a time of 42 minutes, 52.2 seconds after shooting cleanly at all four intervals. France's Benjamin Daviet — who won the previous two biathlon golds in Pyeongchang — earned silver, while Norway's Nils-Erik Ulset took bronze.

Arendz's medal, combined with Collin Cameron and Brittany Hudak both winning bronze, brings Canada's total to 19 at these Games, tying a national record set in Vancouver in 2010. Canada will surpass that total by virtue of the para ice hockey team reaching the gold-medal game; the team is guaranteed either a gold or silver in that game, which will bring the total to 20.

Cameron added to his Paralympic biathlon medal total with a bronze in the men's 15-km sitting race. The 29-year-old from Sudbury, Ont., crossed the line in a time of 50:59.1 while incurring only a single shooting penalty to finish just behind Germany's Martin Fleig and American Daniel Cnossen. 

Cameron sped to a bronze medal in the men's 15km sitting biathlon event, matching the bronze he captured in the 7.5km race. 0:24

Cameron claimed his first-ever Paralympic medal on the opening day of competition, racing to bronze in the 7.5-km event.

He also had fourth- and fifth-place results in cross-country.

Hudak of Prince Albert, Sask., earned another bronze for Canada with a time of 41:20.7 in the women's 12.5-km standing race.

Hudak raced to a time of 41:20.7 seconds to capture the bronze medal in the women's standing 12.5km biathlon 1:09

It was the 24-year-old's first Paralympic medal, having finished fifth and eighth in two earlier races. 

Emily Young of Kelowna, B.C., finished seventh.

Canada comes up short in snowboarding

Canada's seven competitors were unable to medal in the Paralympic debut of snowboarding banked slalom. Michelle Salt, who placed fourth in LLI snowboard cross, finished fifth in her banked slalom event; Sandrine Hamel also placed fifth in the LL2 banked slalom.

Curt Minard (UL) and John Leslie (LL2) both finished eighth in their respective events. Andrew Genge placed 17th in the UL banked slalom, while Alex Massie and Colton Liddle finished 10th and 12th, respectively, in the LL2 event.

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