Tokyo hero Kendall Gretsch continues winning streak, this time on skis

Only months after her thrilling paratriathlon gold in Tokyo, Kendall Gretsch has roared back to winning ways at the World Para Snow Sports Championships.

Gretsch took the honours in the women’s sitting 10-kilometres cross-country race in Lillehammer, Norway.

“Today was a great way to start off the races,” she told US Paralympics Nordic Skiing. “I’m looking forward to some fast racing ahead. It’s a great opportunity to learn more and get some race experience in before Beijing.”

Golden opportunities

After turning attention to Nordic skiing in 2016, 29-year-old Gretsch has won multiple golds at individual biathlon and cross-country at both the World Championships as well as the previous Winter Paralympics in South Korea.

And the focus now is to defend those titles in March in Beijing – along with potentially other opportunities in an expanded Paralympic programme.

In paratriathlon last year she struck gold in World Triathlon Para Series opener in Yokohama before repeating that at the Para Series Leeds in June. And then came that memorable finish in Tokyo in the PTWC race where she chased down Australia’s Lauren Parker in the final few metres.