March 22, 2015 (Surnadal, Norway) – Canada’s Brittany Hudak capped off a memorable weekend, by hopping onto the podium for the third time this week after winning the silver medal in the women’s biathlon race at the IPC World Cup Finals in Surnadal, Norway.

Canada's Brittany Hudak © Photo Scott Grant/Canadian Paralympic Committee

One day after claiming the women’s Overall IPC World Cup cross-country ski title in just her first full season on the national team with a fourth-place finish on Saturday’s five-kilometre standing classic ski race, Hudak put the rifle on her back and hit the start line for the final time this year in the women’s 12.5-kilometre pursuit race.

The Prince Alberta, Sask., youngster missed just one shot in her first of four rounds of shooting to post a second place time of 41:36.6. Oleksandra Kononova, of the Ukraine, swept gold over the weekend with a time of 39:46.2 (0+0+1+1). Hudak beat the Ukraine’s Liudmyla Liashenko for the second time this week and in her career. Liashenko clocked in at 43:16..6 for the bronze after missing five shots (1+2+2+0).

It has been a stellar run for the 21-year-old Hudak since being discovered by Canada’s legendary Paralympian, Colette Bourgonje, nearly two years ago while working at Canadian Tire store.

Taken under Bourgonje’s wing, Hudak qualified to represent Canada at the 2014 Paralympics. She was then brought into the national development team program this season where she has taken a major step forward as one of the top contenders on the premiere international para-nordic circuit.

Hudak won two gold, two silver and one bronze medal in cross-country skiing events this year. She also added a bronze earlier this week to go with Sunday’s silver while competing in biathlon.

“The learning curve has been so huge for me,” said Hudak. “Now having the opportunity to attend national training camps, particularly the New Zealand camp this summer, I have noticed a huge improvement in my technique. It has been such an advantage for me to be in the same environment with the high-performance athletes, seeing how the train and learning from them.”

Mark Arendz, of Hartsville, P.E.I., was fifth in the men’s 15-kilometre standing pursuit Sunday with a time of 45:40.8. Urkaine’s Ihor Reptyukh set the time to beat at 42:17.6 (1+0+1+1).

Chris Klebl, who won a gold in the men’s sit-ski distance races earlier this week at the World Cup Finals, was fifth on Saturday. The result secured the Paralympic champion third overall in the men’s cross-country sit-ski division.

Full results and more information are available at Paralympic.org.