Two Olympics in, Eliot Grondin reads the course like a map. In snowboard cross, four riders drop together and hit 80 km\/h on ice. Chaos lurks in every bank and roller. \u201cControl what you can,\u201d he says. He trusts his start. He trusts his feel. \u201cI can sense two-tenths right away.\u201d His edge choice and race lines do the talking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like a Formula One driver, Grondin obsesses over trajectory. A clean line keeps speed and protects position. He spends less time on the start than rivals because it comes naturally. The focus shifts to exits, drafting and calm passes in traffic. Co-head coach Ma\u00eblle Ricker calls him \u201ca machine\u201d with touch and instincts\u2014traits that separate finalists from also-rans. Ricker leads Canada\u2019s SBX program into the Games this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At Beijing 2022, Grondin claimed silver in men\u2019s SBX and bronze in the mixed team event with Meryeta O\u2019Dine. He debuted at PyeongChang 2018 at 16, then piled on World Cup wins and the 2025 world title. He enters Milan-Cortina as a marked man\u2014and a favourite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Snowboard cross runs at the Games in Livigno, with men\u2019s racing scheduled during the first Olympic week and the mixed team event to follow. Course testing has highlighted speed sections and heavy compression zones; line choice will decide heats. Fans can track athlete pages and event updates on the official site as brackets publish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grondin keeps the plan simple: set the line early, defend cleanly and react faster than the pack. He leans on routine\u2014inspection notes, start-gate cues, and a narrow focus once the beeps sound. The template brought medals already; now he wants the upgrade. At 24, with speed and feel in sync, his window is wide open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As race day nears, Team Canada\u2019s SBX group looks settled, staff aligned, and roles clear. The pieces are there. If Grondin hits his lines, Milan-Cortina could add another chapter to an already loaded r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Two Olympics in, Eliot Grondin reads the course like a map. In snowboard cross, four riders drop together and hit 80 km\/h on ice. Chaos lurks in every bank and roller. \u201cControl what you can,\u201d he says. He trusts his start. He trusts his feel. \u201cI can sense two-tenths right away.\u201d His edge choice and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-868","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n