OSP Wrap: Redemption ski medals for Grenier, Schmidt siblings in World Cup races

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By Dan Plouffe

After underwhelming performances on the overwhelming Olympic stage, local skiers Valérie Grenier and Hannah and Jared Schmidt fired up to the front of the pack in World Cup races on March 25 and 21.

Grenier earned the third World Cup alpine skiing title of her career in the women’s giant slalom in Lillehammer, Norway. The 29-year-old Mont-Tremblant product from St. Isidore, ON topped the field of 27 that included the Olympic silver and bronze medallists by .43 seconds in a two-run combined time of 2:16.79.

“This feels really good,” Grenier said via Alpine Canada. “The first run felt good the whole way down and I was so happy when I crossed the finish and saw first place.

“I was quite nervous before the second run. It’s Nico’s (Carpentieri) last day as our ski tech and I badly wanted to get the win for him. The second run wasn’t too turny and that suits me. We had a good plan and it all came together.”

WATCH CBC SPORTS | Canada’s Valérie Grenier wins World Cup gold in the final giant slalom race of the season

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At the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Grenier was disqualified in the downhill for leaving the start hut too late after an equipment snafu, she did not finish the super-G, and was 13th in the team combined and giant slalom.

She was disappointed overall with her performance at the Olympics, indicating that she felt more nervous than usual.

Grenier, who also won a World Cup bronze medal is the GS on her home hill earlier this season, jumped up to seventh overall in the season standings with her victory in the final World Cup race of the season.

“I’m so happy and also relieved,” she added. “It’s been a good season but a long one with the Olympic Games. I’m hungry for more but also need a rest.”

Schmidt siblings celebrate ski cross silver on same day at home

Hannah and Jared Schmidt earned World Cup silver medals one after the other on March 21 at Craigleath Ski Club. *Photo: Alpine Canada*

Competing on Canadian snow at Craigleith Ski Club, Dunrobin siblings Hannah and Jared Schmidt raced down the Collingwood, ON slopes to win women’s and men’s World Cup ski cross medals within minutes of one another on Saturday.

Hannah won both her quarterfinal and semifinal heats before getting edged out by Switzerland’s Fanny Smith at the finish line by .15 seconds.

WATCH CBC SPORTS | Ottawa’s Hannah Schmidt claims World Cup ski cross silver on home snow

“It’s pretty awesome to be back on the podium and to do it at home, with friends and family in the crowd, and on the same day as my brother, is absolutely insane,” Hannah said via Alpine Canada. “We could hear the crowd at the start, and it got me fired up at the start gate.

“The start is key to this race, you need to get out quick and defend at the bottom. I left the door open just a little on the last turn at the bottom and she got me for first place but that’s ski cross.”

Hannah raced well in Milano Cortina but missed the semifinal round by an even slimmer margin – .06 seconds – to place 12th overall.

Jared’s Olympic experience was even more heartbreaking as he felt robbed of advancement for what was largely viewed as a phantom infraction. A moment earlier, he’d experienced the high of pushing into a qualifying position on the final stretch before the officials delivered their stunning disqualification.

At Craigleith, Jared won all three of his heats to reach the big final, where he finished behind France’s Youri Duplessis-Kergomard and .02 seconds ahead of Sweden’s David Mobaerg to win his first World Cup medal since February 2025.

“It’s been a long road to get back on the podium but I’ve enjoyed every single moment,” Jared said via Alpine Canada. “I’m always super honoured to represent Canada and to be on the podium here in front of family and friends is pretty cool. I want to thank everyone for making the trip out to watch Hannah and I, and the Canadian team race here at Craigleith.”

WATCH CBC SPORTS | Ottawa’s Jared Schmidt matches his sister Hannah with ski cross silver on home snow

In a second World Cup race the next day, Hannah placed eighth and Jared won the small final for fifth place overall. Both Schmidts are ranked seventh in the overall World Cup standings heading into the last event of the season this weekend in Sweden.

Ottawa’s Sloane Southcombe clinches Canadian FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup berth at Concacaf Qualifiers

Sloane Southcombe of Ottawa South United helped Canada secure a berth for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco thanks to a dominant performance by the Canadians at the Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Qualifiers in Costa Rica.

Canada overpowered Nicaragua 5-0, Dominican Republic 7-0 and El Salvador 5-0 to secure the lone regional berth available for their group.

Southcombe lined up as a wide midfielder for the full 90 minutes of Canada’s largest win of the tournament against Dominican Republic. She did not appear in the other two matches.

Ottawa Lions’ Maeliss Trapeau makes indoor worlds debut, Wendy Alexis clocks new world masters mark

A season after exploding to earn her first World Championships berth, Maeliss Trapeau of the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club made her debut at the World Athletics Indoor Championships on March 20 in Poland.

Competing in the women’s 800 metres, Trapeau missed qualifying for the semi-finals by one spot and .58 seconds with her run of 2:03.78 to finish third in her heat and 27th overall.

Gatineau’s Audrey Leduc advanced through the opening round with a second-place finish in her women’s 60 m heat and then placed sixth in her semifinal in 7.21 seconds to rank 18th overall.

Earlier at the Canadian Masters Track and Field Championships in Toronto, the Lions’ Wendy Alexis lowered her women’s age 70-74 class world record in the 60 metres with her performance of 9.07 seconds.

At his debut NCAA Division II Indoor Championships, Simon Fraser University’s Zachary Jeggo of the Lions earned second-team All-American honours in both the 400 metres and the 4×400-metre relay, placing 11th in his 400 m race in 47.41 seconds three weeks after establishing a new Canadian U20 indoor record of 46.72.

Gee-Gees fall in shootout in long-awaited return to women’s hockey nationals

Making their first appearance at the U Sports women’s hockey championships in 17 years last weekend in Elmira, ON, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees experienced shootout heartbreak in a 2-1 quarterfinal defeat to the University of New Brunswick.

The fifth-ranked Gee-Gees wasted little time out of the gate, getting on the scoreboard just 55 seconds into the contest when Alex Ferguson capitalized on a power play. UNB equalized later in the first period before the goaltenders took over the rest of the way, including one overtime period and a shootout that UNB won 2-1.

Gee-Gees goaltender Clara Grenier was named uOttawa’s player of the game after turning aside 43 of 44 UNB shots prior to the shootout. The University of British Columbia then topped uOttawa 2-0 in the consolation semifinal.

Nepean Wildcats advance to OWHL U22 Elite finals

The Nepean Wildcats advanced to the Ontario Women’s Hockey U22 Elite League final eight with a 3-0 playoff series sweep of the Whitby Wolves.

The Wildcats, who won three-quarters of their 48 regular season games to place fourth overall, earned 2-1 and 5-2 victories on the road before finishing off the Wolves with 8-3 assault back at the Minto Recreation Complex – Barrhaven on March 20.

Team-leading scored Mallea McMullin scored both goals in the 2-1 win, different players scored all five goals in Game 2, and Jaylee MacKinnon scored a hat trick and added an assist in the series clincher, while Jordan Mulvihill contributed two goals and an assist.

The Ottawa Senators fell to Mississauga 3-1 in their playoff series, while the East Ottawa Stars and Ottawa 67’s missed the playoffs with 17 and 10 wins respectively in 48 games this season.

The league championships run March 26-29 in Toronto.

Boxing Without Barriers celebrates World Down Syndrome Day with annual Spring Showcase

Boxing Without Barriers hosted its biggest event of the year last Saturday night with its fourth-annual Spring Showcase at Beaver Boxing Club in Centretown, coinciding with World Down Syndrome Day.

BWB offers programming tailored to accommodate athletes with physical, cognitive or developmental challenges, and is leading a grassroots movement to elevate a sport that is not yet part of the Special Olympics or Paralympics.

“A HUGE shoutout to each and every athlete who entered that ring tonight,” BWB wrote on Instagram. “Their hard work, dedication, determination, grit, training, courage, bravery, passion and joy shone through indeed. We all couldn’t be prouder!”