TURNER ON THE PODIUM

Tyler Turner, the defending snowboard cross champion, delivered a strong performance at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, earning bronze in the men’s SB-LL1 event after a dramatic day of racing in Cortina, Italy.

Turner showed early he was the rider to beat. During qualification, he set the fastest time in both runs, including a 51.72-second effort that topped the field and positioned the Canadian as the top seed heading into race day.

Carrying that momentum into head-to-head racing, Turner advanced confidently through the elimination rounds, winning both his quarterfinal and semifinal heats to secure a spot in the Big Final.

But as snowboard cross often proves, anything can happen when the gates drop.

In the four-rider final, Turner became tangled with Japan’s Junta Kosuda on course, sending both riders to the snow. Kosuda initially recovered to cross the finish line ahead, but after an official review, the judges ruled he had caused the contact, resulting in a disqualification and moving Turner onto the podium with the bronze medal.

TYLER TURNER | PHOTO: DAVE HOLLAND / CPC

“The run in the final is going to weigh heavily on me for awhile, but that’s racing,” Turner said.

Despite the chaotic finish, the result marks another Paralympic medal for the Canadian, who won gold in snowboard cross and bronze in banked slalom at the Beijing 2022 Games.

With family in the stands watching in Cortina, the moment still carried plenty of meaning.

“I’m so proud to get the medal and to be able to share this moment with my family,” Turner said. “For them to be here and part of this is unbelievable.”

TYLER TURNER AND HIS MUM CANDACE | PHOTO: DAVE HOLLAND / CPC

With snowboard cross now complete, Turner and Canada’s para snowboard team will shift their focus to the banked slalom, the final snowboard event of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

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