Woolstencroft skis to silver

March 13, 2006

Lauren Woolstencroft won Canada's third medal of the 2006 Paralympic Games in Turin, Italy Monday by earning a silver in the women's standing super-giant slalom.

The 24-year-old Woolstencroft, from Victoria, completed the 2.1-kilometre course in one minute and 16.13 seconds.

France's Solene Jambaque, who also won Saturday's downhill race, took the gold in 1:14.13. Danja Haslacher of Austria finished third in 1:18.470 for the bronze.

"I'm very satisfied," said Woolstencroft. "I wasn't very happy with my fourth place. I felt I skied great today and that's all I wanted to do. I knew I had it in me."

Woolstencroft was born without legs below both knees and no left arm below the elbow.

This is not the first Paralympic medal for the skier. Woolstencroft won gold in the super-G at the 2002 Salt Lake City Paralympics.

She also currently leads the World Cup standings in the event.

Canada has now won a gold and two silver medals in three days of competition at the Paralympics.

Brian McKeever captured Canada's first Paralympic gold medal Sunday when he won the men's 5-kilometre visually impaired cross-country event. Also on Sunday, Chris Williamson took the silver in the men's visually impaired downhill.

Team Canada's goal is to win 10 medals in Italy.