December 10, 2016 (Vuokatti, Finland) – Mark Arendz dug deep to deliver a silver-medal performance in the biathlon sprint race at the World Para-Nordic World Cup in Vuokatti, Finland on Saturday. The two-time Paralympic medallist shot clean in his two rounds of shooting on the range to post a second-place time of 19:39.4 in the men’s 7.5-kilometre standing sprint race.

“My focus was on the range and although it wasn’t my best shooting I was able to clean to keep me in the race,” said the Hartsville, P.E.I. native, who won a bronze at the season-opening cross-country ski sprint race on Friday. “I could feel yesterday’s effort in my legs. The fitness was there but I wasn’t able to get into that next gear so I was a little disappointed to bleed so much time in the last lap.”

Arendz managed to hang on for the silver medal, finishing eight seconds behind race winner, Ihor Reptyukh of the Ukraine. Reptyukh missed one shot in his first stop at the range, but still pulled out a golden performance with a time of 19:31.0. Benjamin Daviet, of France, rounded out the men’s podium with a time of 19:44.6 (0+1).

In the women’s standing race, it was Brittany Hudak, of Prince Albert, Sask., finishing in the middle of the pack in sixth place. Hudak missed one shot in both rounds of shooting en route to posting a time of 23:56.4 in the six-kilometre biathlon sprint.

The Ukraine team swept the women’s standing podium. Oleksandra Kononova finished on top at 20:51.4 (2+2). Liudmyla Liashenko was second at 20:56.4 (2+0), while Bohdana Konashuk skied to the bronze-medal position on the podium with a time of 21:59.5 (1+0).

Development athlete, Derek Zaplotinsky, was the only other Canadian to suit up on Saturday and finished 13h in the men’s 7.5-kilometre sit-ski sprint race. Zaplotinsky missed five shots, while posting a time of 33:24.0.

Complete Men’s results here.
Complete Women’s results here.