LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK – Could these Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games get any better for Shilo Rousseau?
After winning gold in the women’s 12.5km, and silver in the women’s 7.5km sprint, the uOttawa skier completed her medal hat-trick at the Games with a gold in the 10km pursuit, finishing in a time of 32.24.4.
Ahead of the Lake Placid Games, no Canadian had won a biathlon medal at the FISU level, but that changed with Rousseau, who now has three to her name, breaking through for a sport that has often aluded Canadian podiums at the international level.
“I really just came here for the experience and the fun, it’s a great event and I’m so happy it turned out a lot better than I imagined,” she said.
With her third medal, Rousseau elevated Canada to nine medals at the Lake Placid Games, putting the 2023 edition among the best of Canadian performances at the Winter Games. Her second gold medal also makes history as the first Canadian to ever win two gold medals at the FISU Winter World University Games.
Her medal also tied speed skater Susan Auch for the most medals won by a Canadian at a single FISU Winter Games, with three, matching Auch’s triple from Belluno 2005.
“Every race is a new day, you forget about the past, you forget about the future, you just focus on right now and just trying to not think about what’s to come or what’s happened,” Rousseau told reporters post-race. “Biathlon is a crazy sport, and everything can change so easily with all the shooting, so it’s important to focus on the present.
She shared the 10km podium alongside Poland’s Anna Nedza-Kubiniec, who claimed silver with a time of 33:04.5, and Barbara Skrobiszewska, who finished with the bronze medal and a time of 33:39.3.
“Shooting felt really great, especially when I came in for my first standing and they all just fell down and I just felt super solid and confident,” Rousseau said.
While Rousseau will have to declare the medals at the Canadian border, she’s bringing home noteworthy hardware for Canada, and will look towards her future in both cross country skiing, biathlon and her academics at the University of Ottawa.
More to come.