LIVIGNO, Italy — Canada's hopes for a return to the Olympic podium in mixed team snowboard cross were dashed early Sunday at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, as the duo of Éliot Grondin and Audrey McManiman finished fourth in their quarterfinal heat and failed to advance.
The competition, held at the Livigno Snow Park, featured a challenging 1,110-metre course with a vertical drop of 154 metres. In a knockout format involving 16 teams, the event combined men's and women's races, with time gaps from the men's leg carried over to a staggered start for the women. The first woman to cross the finish line would secure victory for her team.
Grondin, the 24-year-old from Sainte-Marie, Quebec, who recently claimed silver in the men's individual snowboard cross for the second consecutive Olympics, performed strongly in his portion of the heat. He edged out Austria by just five one-hundredths of a second, while Britain trailed by 1.09 seconds and Australia by 1.46 seconds. According to reports from the scene, Grondin's speed set a solid foundation, but it wasn't enough to carry the team through.
McManiman, 31, from St-Ambroise-de-Kildare, Quebec, took over for the women's leg. She started strong, leading for a stretch amid the tight field, but got boxed out at a critical point, losing speed and position as the competitors bunched up. The Canadian Press reported that this moment proved decisive, as Britain 1 and Australia 2 capitalized to finish first and second, with Austria 1 taking third and advancing to the semifinals.
The mixed team snowboard cross made its Olympic debut four years ago at the Beijing 2022 Games, where Grondin paired with Meryeta O'Dine to win bronze for Canada in the inaugural event. That medal marked a highlight for the Canadian squad, but this time around, injuries sidelined key players. O'Dine, a 28-year-old from Prince George, British Columbia, fractured a bone in her ankle during a training fall on February 6, 2026, forcing her out of the competition.
Adding to the challenges, the Canadian Olympic Committee announced on February 2, 2026, that Tess Critchlow, 30, from Big White, British Columbia, had withdrawn due to injury. Critchlow, who underwent knee surgery in September 2025, had previously finished ninth in Pyeongchang 2018 and sixth in Beijing 2022. Her absence left McManiman as Canada's representative in the women's field, despite her own history of overcoming adversity, including three knee reconstructions during her career.
McManiman herself placed 17th in the women's individual snowboard cross event earlier in these Games, a step back from her 11th-place finish in Beijing. Officials noted that her resilience has been a hallmark of her career, but the team event's demands proved too much against international rivals.
In the semifinals, Britain 1, consisting of Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale, went on to win gold, overtaking France 2 in the big final. Italy 1 secured silver, while France 2 settled for bronze. The victory for Britain marked a strong performance in a discipline where they have been rising contenders.
The format of the mixed team event, introduced to promote gender equality and team dynamics in snowboarding, has added a new layer of strategy to the sport. Teams must balance the men's and women's legs, with the staggered women's start amplifying the importance of the initial time gaps. At Livigno, the course's steep drops and technical turns tested athletes' precision and endurance, contributing to several close finishes throughout the day.
Canada's exit in the quarterfinals echoes broader challenges faced by the nation's snowboard cross program at these Olympics. While Grondin continued his medal streak individually, the team result highlights the impact of injuries on depth. The Canadian Snowboard Cross team entered Milan Cortina with high expectations, building on past successes, but unforeseen setbacks altered the lineup.
Looking back, the Beijing bronze was a breakthrough, showcasing Canada's strength in the discipline. Grondin and O'Dine's synergy was key then, with Grondin's explosive starts complementing O'Dine's tactical racing. This year, pairing Grondin with McManiman aimed to replicate that chemistry, but the quarterfinal stumble underscored the fine margins in snowboard cross.
Beyond the results, the event drew attention to athlete welfare. O'Dine's training injury on February 6 came just days before the team competition, and Critchlow's earlier withdrawal after knee surgery raised questions about recovery timelines in high-stakes sports. The International Olympic Committee has emphasized support for such cases, but for Canadian fans, it meant watching from afar as teammates competed short-handed.
The Milan Cortina Games, marking Italy's third time hosting the Winter Olympics after Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1956 and Turin in 2006, have featured innovative events like this one. Snowboard cross, with its roots in the early 2000s, has evolved from individual races to include team formats, attracting global audiences with its high-speed crashes and overtakes.
As the competition wrapped up Sunday, attention shifts to other events for Canada. Grondin's individual silver remains a bright spot, and the team looks ahead to future cycles, potentially with O'Dine and Critchlow returning stronger. For now, the quarterfinal exit serves as a reminder of the sport's unpredictability.
In the broader context of Olympic snowboarding, nations like Britain and Italy demonstrated depth, with Bankes and Nightingale's gold capping a successful campaign. France's bronze, after leading much of the final, showed the competitive balance. Canadian officials expressed disappointment but pride in the effort, according to post-race statements.
With the mixed team event concluding, the focus now turns to remaining disciplines at Livigno Snow Park. Canada's snowboarders will aim to build on individual achievements, while the nation reflects on a mixed bag in snowboard cross. The 2026 Games continue, offering more opportunities for redemption and glory on the slopes.