Arendz, Cameron claim Crystal Globes at World Cup finals as Canada closes dream season with 3-medal day

Mark Arendz and Collin Cameron led a three-medal day in World Cup action for Canada's Para Nordic team to conclude the season on Wednesday at the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center in Midway, Utah.

Arendz earned silver in the men's 20-kilometre skate-ski mass start race, while Cameron grabbed silver in the sit-ski competition. Natalie Wilkie claimed silver in the women's standing classification.

In the process, Arendz and Cameron both won Crystal Globes. Arendz placed first overall in the biathlon standings and Cameron finished atop the men's sit-ski World Cup cross-country skiing standings.

Para nordic skiing includes both cross-country skiing and biathlon for athletes who have a physical impairment.

Arendz of Hartsville, P.E.I., finished with a time of 49 minutes, 16.1 seconds for second. Japan's Taiki Kawayoke struck gold (48:27.0), while France's Benjamin Daviet placed third (49:42.6).

Cameron of Bracebridge, Ont., stopped the clock at 57:03.3 in his second-place finish. Italy's Giuseppe Romele earned gold (56:10.5) and Ukraine's Pavlo Bal took bronze (57:29.6).

"It was such an awesome day. I'm so happy with today's race and how I paced it," Cameron said. "I owe a big thanks to the wax techs again.

"I'm so happy to finish off the season with a race like that. An awesome day and season for the entire team."

Norway's Vilde Nilsen earned the victory with a time of 54:10.7. Ukraine's Liudmyla Liashenko rounded out the podium (55:10.2).

"I had so much fun doing a mass start, and skiing together with all of the other competitors and I was able to put some good strategies and tactics to use," said the two-time Paralympian.

"I tried hard to drop Vilde in the last lap, but she was able to win the sprint to the finish. All in all —