The British Columbian won with a time of 1 min 21 s 75/100 to win her fifth Paralympic medal. She notably won bronze in this discipline four years ago in Pyeongchang.
Mollie Jepsen and or and paraski alpin
Photo: Radio-Canada
Jepsen just edged China’s Zhang Mengqiu, the last competitor to start, who clocked 1:21.85. Sweden’s Ebba Aarsjoe won bronze in 1:23.20.
Usually we hit these trails a million times before racing there, but this was only my fourth run on this one,” Jepsen said in a statement. I’m absolutely thrilled, I knew exactly what I wanted to do today, and I’m glad I gave it my all.
Two other Canadians were in the running. In her first Paralympic Games, Micheala Gosselin took 5th place with a time of 1:25.75, while Alana Ramsay settled for 7th place in 1:26.08.
The reigning double champion, Frenchwoman Marie Bochet, lost a ski just seconds after the start. She was therefore unable to complete the test.
Canadian Katie Combaluzier suffered a fall in the downhill event.
Photo : Archyde.com / GONZALO SOURCES
In the seated downhill event, the lone Canadian, Katie Combaluzier, missed a gate and did not finish the competition.
Only three skiers registered times on the board in this event marked by numerous falls. Japan’s Momoka Muraoka (1:29.77) won gold, ahead of Germany’s Anna-Lena Forster (1:30.59) and China’s Liu Sitong (1:32.10).
The very first gold medal of these Paralympic Winter Games was awarded at the end of the downhill for athletes with visual impairments. She returned to Slovak Henrieta Farkasova and her guide Martin Motyka.
Already a two-time defending champion in the discipline, Farkasova won her 13th Paralympic medal with a time of 1:19.50.
The podium was completed by China’s Zhu Daqing and her guide Yan Hanhan (1:21.75) and Britain’s Millie Knight and her guide Brett Wild (1:23.20).