March 4, 2022 (Yanqing Alpine Centre, CHN) -- Canada’s Mollie Jepsen (West Vancouver, BC) just can’t be stopped. After nine starts and a subsequent nine World Cup/World Championship medals to her name this year, the 22-year-old can also officially add Paralympic Downhill Champion to her impressive resume. Another impressive accolade “despite the course being relatively unknown to most racers pre-competition. 

“Usually, we ski courses a million times before racing it, but this is my fourth time on this particular track,” Jepsen reflects. “I’m completely overwhelmed, I knew exactly what I wanted to do today, and I am happy to have put everything out there.” 

The women’s standing downhill was particularly Canadian, with one third of competitors wearing the Maple Leaf. This dominant show from her country is not lost on Jepsen. “It’s so fun! We spend the whole season travelling together, and we’re a really big team and honestly like a family. It’s nice for us all to be here to share this.” 

As Jepsen alludes to, the Canadian team is particularly dominant in these Games, and teammate Mac Marcoux with guide Tristan Rodgers was not to be forgotten. The defending champion competed in his first race in over two years, skiing to a silver finish. 

“It was such a good run. We were so nervous, or at least I was, and I think Tristan could tell at the start,” Marcoux describes. “Being able to come down and lay one down and execute everything we had planned and land on the podium is overwhelming and probably one of the more rewarding runs I’ve ever done. I’m beyond stoked.” 

“We were in a place a couple months ago where we weren’t sure if we were going to make it,” Rodgers adds. “Kicking out of the start gate was the goal and everything after that is the cherry on top.” 

This Canadian Paralympic team adds to a storied legacy of success at the Games for the country, and the sentiment isn’t lost on the competitors. 

Watching the 2010 Paralympic Games in her backyard influenced Jepsen, but gold wasn’t necessarily the goal. “I was a stubborn kid, and whatever I set my mind to, I was going to do it,” she says. “I never looked at results, I just knew I wanted to be fast and whatever that meant was going to be good enough for me and that’s what I’m doing.” 

NOTABLE CANADIAN RESULTS: 

Women’s DH Standing 

5 – Michaela Gosselin 

7 – Alana Ramsay 

MEN'S DOWNHILL VI 

9 – Logan Leach (Guide J. Petit) 

Men’s DH Standing 

5 – Alexis Guimond 

The Paralympic action continues tomorrow with the super-G events. 

For more information or media inquiries please contact: 
Kylie Robertson I Manager of Communications  
krobertson@alpinecanada.org I 403-777-3204 

About Alpine Canada 
Alpine Canada is the governing body for alpine, para-alpine, and ski cross racing in Canada, as well as for Canadian ski coaches, providing education, certification, insurance, and compliance with the coaching code of conduct. With the support of valued corporate partners and donors, along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Coaching Association of Canada, Alpine Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic, World Championship, and World Cup athletes to stimulate visibility, inspiration, and growth in the ski community. In 2020/21, Alpine Canada celebrated 100 years of rich tradition in competitive skiing in Canada.