Canada’s Max Parrot competes in the snowboard men’s slopestyle final run during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the Genting Snow Park H & S Stadium in Zhangjiakou, February 7, 2022. — AFP pic
ZHANGJIAKOU, Feb 7 — Three years ago Max Parrot was in hospital fighting cancer — today he won men’s snowboard slopestyle gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
The Canadian, who said chemotherapy left him “at zero per cent” when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2018, beat 17-year-old Chinese home favourite Su Yiming to win gold with a score of 90.96.
“Exactly three years ago I was lying in a hospital and I had no energy, no muscles, no cardio,” said the 27-year-old Parrot.
“It was the hardest moment of my life and to be standing here three years later at the Olympics again, doing my passion, laying down the best run I’ve ever done and winning gold — it’s insane.”
Parrot said he “felt like a lion in a cage” when he was undergoing treatment for cancer, just months after winning silver at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.
But he ran wild when the competition began today in the Chinese capital, overtaking defending champion Red Gerard for the lead with his second run.
The Canadian had stiff competition from teenage tyro Su, who thrilled the small but enthusiastic crowd with his high-flying antics.
But in the end it was Parrot standing on top of the podium, joined by silver-medallist Su on 88.70 points and another Canadian, Mark McMorris, in third on 88.53.
“I used to take life for granted and I don’t any more,” said Parrot, who will attempt to complete a golden double in the Big Air competition.
“Every time I strap my feet on my snowboard, I appreciate it so much more than before.”
Su’s silver was China’s first ever medal in men’s snowboarding.
“It’s a dream come true, for sure,” said Su, who has only competed in six events on the World Cup circuit.
“It’s my first time at the Olympics, and in my hometown — I’m so happy to put my runs down today and share the podium with my idols.”
McMorris edged out Gerard with his final run, giving him bronze for the third Winter Games in a row.
“I’m super-proud of myself for rising to the occasion on the last run,” said the 28-year-old McMorris.
“People love to say it’s a shortlived sport and a young man’s sport, and I’m super-proud of myself to be riding at a high level like that.”
But the day belonged to Parrot, who had a nervous wait for the gold after a sub-par performance in qualifying put him fourth out of 12 in the running order.
He celebrated by wrapping himself in a Canadian flag and lifting his board in triumph, then said he would take time to decide his next move.
“I’ll probably take some down time at home because the past few years was so much hard work,” he said.
“I’m only 27 years old, so it would definitely be possible to be at the next Olympics.” — AFP