Canada won its first gold medal at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games today.
Mac Marcoux and his guide, Jack Leitch, earned a gold medal in the para-alpine men's downhill, in the visually impaired event on the first day of competition.
Watch @mac_marcoux and Jack Leitch race to a Gold Medal in downhill pic.twitter.com/wJfVE8AH4J
— CDN Paralympic Team (@CDNParalympics) March 10, 2018
"I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Mac Marcoux and his guide Jack Leitch on winning Canada's first gold medal at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games," said Kirsty Duncan, Canada's minister of Science and minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities.
"I would also like to recognize their family and friends and their entire communities who have supported them on this unforgettable Paralympic journey."
Marcoux hails from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and his guide, Jack Leitch, lives in Calgary, Alberta.
His family all showed up to cheer him on and congratulate him on the challenges he faced to get to the podium.
Our athletes wouldn’t be able to do what they do without the support of their family, friends, and Canadians. Paralympic gold medallist Mac Marcoux’s family would like to share their words of support ❤️ pic.twitter.com/0zNfJOMRua
— CDN Paralympic Team (@CDNParalympics) March 10, 2018
Marcoux and Leitch finished the race in a time of 1:23.93.
At 20 yeas of age, Marcoux has already won a gold and two bronze medals in Sochi.
Leitch joined Marcoux in the 2016-17 season where they earned four gold medals and a silver at the 2017 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships in Italy.
🚨🥇GOLD🥇🚨
— Sport Canada (@SportCanada_EN) March 10, 2018
😁😁
They are 2 on the podium but were ☝️ during the spectacular para ski race. The bond between Mac Marcoux and Jack Leitch is strong, almost as strong as the fans who cheered them on in #PyeongChang2018! Congratulations!
First 🥇 medal for Canada!
🇨🇦|🎿|🏔 pic.twitter.com/GINYwbPDF7
Marcoux started skiing at age four, but in 2006 his sight started to disappear due to Stargardt disease and became legally blind by 2007.
Minister Duncan called today's gold a "true source of inspiration for all Canadians, especially our youth," adding, "I personally thank athletes like Mac and Jack who demonstrate that high-performance sport is accessible to all."
This is the first gold medal for Team Canada and its third overall Paralympic medal.
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