Milano Cortina, Italy – Canada added to its medal count at the 2026 Winter Paralympics on Wednesday, with Mark Arendz and Brittany Hudak both securing bronze medals in standing cross-country skiing. The pair’s performances at the Tesero Cross-country Skiing Stadium in Val di Fiemme bring Canada’s total medal haul to ten through five days of competition.
Arendz, a five-time Paralympian from Hartsville, Prince Edward Island, finished the 10-kilometre interval start classic race with a time of 27 minutes 59.3 seconds. This marks his 14th career Paralympic medal and his second of these Games, following a silver medal in the individual biathlon earlier this week. France’s Karl Tabouret took gold with a time of 27:10.7, even as Belarus’ Raman Svirydzenka claimed silver in 27:38.4.
The conditions proved challenging for all competitors, with warmer weather creating slushy snow that impacted performance. “I was battling the conditions for sure and I’m kind of starting to feel the fact that this was the fourth race in five days but I am really happy,” Arendz said. He explained that the softer snow made the climbs significantly more difficult, requiring more energy to maintain momentum. “Every time you go up that hill, it’s just an extra drain on the system. We had to do it four times today with the laps.”
Watch: Arendz earns 10K bronze for his 14th career Paralympic medal:
Canada’s Mark Arendz wins bronze for his 2nd medal at the Milano-Cortina Paralympics
Mark Arendz of Hartsville, P.E.I., won bronze in the 10km interval start standing classic race at Milano Cortina 2026, adding to the silver medal he won in Para biathlon. https://t.co/qJq9q9q9q9— CBC Sports (@cbcsports) March 11, 2026
Hudak, competing in her fourth Paralympic Games and serving as a co-captain of the Canadian delegation, earned her first medal of the Milano Cortina Games with a time of 32:01.0. The 32-year-old from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, finished behind American Sydney Peterson (29:49.2) and Norway’s Vilde Nilsen (29:51.8). What we have is Hudak’s fourth Paralympic bronze medal, adding to her previous successes in Nordic skiing.
Hudak has been navigating the lingering effects of a knee injury for the past year and a half, but her resilience was evident in her performance. She previously won bronze in the 15km classic at the 2022 Beijing Games and finished fifth and sixth in biathlon events at these Games. “It feels so good,” Hudak said. “I was really happy with my races at the start of the Games and I really feel like my fitness is there, the technique is there. It’s really just kind of putting together a good race.” She acknowledged the challenging conditions, stating, “Today, the conditions were tough, but I really just tried to embrace that. I knew it was the same for everyone. To get a bronze medal here feels really great.”
Watch: Hudak skis to 1st medal of Milano Cortina:
Canada’s Brittany Hudak wins Paralympic cross-country bronze
Brittany Hudak of Prince Albert, Sask., won her first medal at Milano Cortina 2026, claiming bronze in the women’s 10km interval start standing classic race. https://t.co/qJq9q9q9q9— CBC Sports (@cbcsports) March 11, 2026
Emma Archibald of Fall River, Nova Scotia, finished sixth in the women’s race with a time of 35:26.8.
With these two additions, Canada is now within striking distance of a significant milestone, sitting at 198 total Winter Paralympic medals as the country pursues its goal of reaching 200. Canada currently has one gold, three silver and six bronze medals. A full medal table is available here.
Canada’s Nordic skiing team has been a consistent contributor to the medal count, accounting for six of the nation’s ten medals – three in cross-country skiing and three in biathlon. “It’s a fantastic team and everybody has their role, their pieces, and we’re just a lot of moving components, especially on a classic day with variable weather and conditions,” Arendz commented.
Watch: Arendz receives 14th career Paralympic medal:
Watch the victory ceremony, as Mark Arendz of Hartsville, P.E.I., is awarded his bronze medal from the men’s 10km interval start standing classic race. https://t.co/qJq9q9q9q9
— CBC Sports (@cbcsports) March 11, 2026
The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games continue, with Para snowboard and Para biathlon medal races scheduled for tomorrow. Canada’s athletes will look to build on this momentum as they compete across various disciplines.
Share your thoughts on Canada’s performance so far in the comments below!
