Canada's Tyler Turner races to Para snowboard gold, Lisa DeJong adds silver
CBC
Two of Canada's Paralympic rookies, Tyler Turner and Lisa DeJong, claimed the country's first-ever Para snowboard medals on Monday in Beijing with gold and silver, respectively.
Turner, of Campbell River, B.C., never ceased to dominate the men's snowboard cross SB-LL1 events until crossing the finish line first in the big final.
On Saturday, the 33-year-old posted the fastest time in both qualifying runs. Turner also finished first in the quarter-final and the semifinal in what's been a display of dominance at the Games.
"This is incredible. I don't even know if it's sunk in yet," Turner said after the race.
"This is crazy. Four years ago I didn't even think I'd snowboard, and now standing on top of the podium, it's unbelievable."
WATCH l Tyler Turner collects Canada's 1st-ever Paralympic snowboard gold medal:
Turner impressed in the 2022 world Para snow sports championships in January, earning two gold medals and one bronze in his first world championship appearance.
Two months later, he further cemented his spot as one of the world's best.
"I felt no pressure. I started building some momentum through the season. At world champs, it all came together and then to finish it off here, I just stuck to the plan," said Turner.
"We say in Canada: 'pucks deep'. I got pucks deep, stuck to the game plan and here we are. It worked out for me."
Shortly before that, Lisa DeJong brought Canada its first Para snowboard medal by capturing silver in the women's Para snowboard SB-LL2 race.
"I feel absolutely amazing. It was unexpected," 32-year-old DeJong said after the race. "Just to make it in the big final, I felt like I already did what I came here to do. To come in second is amazing."
DeJong, originally from Biggar, Sask., and now living in Sherwood Park, Alta., was already in the second position when Brenna Huckaby, of the U.S., and Lisa Bunschoten, of the Netherlands, went down behind her.
"I didn't know they crashed. I just get in my zone and don't look back. I just made my fastest and cleanest run," DeJong said.
