Imagen
a male Para skier

Mac Marcoux

Alpine Skiing
2
3

Mac Marcoux took to the slopes in 2016-17 with a new guide, Jack Leitch, following the retirement of his brother and guide Billy Joe. But the Canadian did not stop winning.

He claimed his second Paralympic gold in the men’s super-combined vision impaired in PyeongChang, South Korea. He followed that up with bronze in the giant slalom.

Marcoux enjoyed a dominant season throughout, also sealing the Crystal Globe after ending first in the overall World Cup standings.

The previous season was also highly successful, with four gold medals won at the 2017 World Championships in Tarvisio, Italy, across speed and technical events.

They were only challenged by Italian youngster Giacamo Bertagnolli and guide Fabrizio Casal, who left with the world title in the super-combined.

Marcoux also defended his downhill World Cup title with three wins.

He began skiing at the age of four and entered his first Para alpine skiing event at 13 after being talent spotted by Alpine Canada.

Just three years later, Marcoux took the slopes of the Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort by storm, winning gold in the giant slalom with guide Robin Femy on his Paralympic debut at Sochi 2014. He also picked up two bronze medals in the downhill and super-G.

His excellent debut was even more impressive given that just weeks before Sochi, Marcoux's original guide and brother Billy Joe had to pull out of the Games with a back injury.

The pair were reunited at the 2015 World Championships on home soil in Panorama and won their first gold medal together. Sadly, they had to withdraw from the competition after Marcoux suffered an injury.

Their 2014-15 season was nonetheless crowned with an overall World Cup win. The brothers went on to finish third in the overall World Cup standings in 2015-16, as well as winning the super-G and downhill globes.

Biography

Impairment information

Type of Impairment
Vision impairment
Origin of Impairment
Acquired
Classification
B3
Guide
Tristan Rodgers

Further personal information

Residence
Whistler, BC, CAN
Occupation
Maintenance Worker
Languages
English

Sport specific information

When and where did you begin this sport?
He began skiing at age four with his family at the Buttermilk Mountain Resort in Goulais River, ON, Canada. He entered his first Para skiing event at age 13.
Why this sport?
His family liked skiing and after his vision deteriorated, he was informed about the opportunities in Para skiing by a representative from Alpine Canada. "I thought yeah, what the hell, let's give 'er a go. Started racing and never looked back."
Club / Team
Searchmont Ski Runners: Canada
Name of coach
Jean-Sebastien Labrie [national], CAN

General interest

Injuries
He missed the 2018/19 season while he was recovering from a back injury [ruptured disc]. (torontosun.com, 25 Jan 2020; sootoday.com, 21 Jan 2020)

He competed at the 2015 World Championships in Panorama, BC, Canada, despite having a torn meniscus and a minor medial collateral ligament [MCL] injury in his knee. (paralympic.org, 08 Aug 2015)
Sporting philosophy / motto
"You ain't trying hard enough if you're not making any mistakes." (cbc.ca, 07 Mar 2014)
Awards and honours
He received the Male Para Alpine Skiing Athlete of the Year award at the 2016 and 2020 Canadian Ski Racing Awards. (cypressskiclub.com, 13 May 2020; paralympic.org, 18 Mar 2016)

He was named the International Paralympic Committee [IPC] Athlete of the Month for February 2018. (paralympic.org, 06 Mar 2018)

He took part in the torch relay ahead of the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto, ON, Canada. (paralympic.org, 08 Aug 2015)

In October 2014 he and his brother Billy Joe were inducted into the Sault Sainte Marie Sports Hall of Fame in Canada. (saultstar.com, 21 Oct 2014)

He received the Best [Paralympic Winter] Games Debut award at the 2014 Canadian Paralympic Sport Awards. (paralympic.org, 22 Sep 2014)
Famous relatives
His older brother Billy Joe was his guide before retiring from the sport in 2016. (paralympic.org, 18 Oct 2016)
Impairment
He began to lose his vision at age nine because of Stargardt's disease. In 2007 he was declared legally blind. (saultstar.com, 29 Jan 2013)
Other information
DOUBLE BASE
He spends 10 months of the year in Whistler, BC, Canada and two months of the year at his parents home in Haviland Bay, ON, Canada. (torontosun.com, 25 Jan 2020)

YOUNG TALENT
He was the youngest athlete in any sport on the Canadian team at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi. (SportsDeskOnline, 06 Mar 2018; NPC Media Guide, 2018)

Results

Unit Date Rank
IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships (La Molina, Spain)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's Downhill VI Race 1 2013-02-20 11
Men's Super-G VI Race 1 2013-02-21 8
Men's Slalom VI Race 1 2013-02-24 9999
Men's Super-Combined VI Race 1 2013-02-25 5
Men's Giant Slalom VI Race 1 2013-02-26 2
Paralympic Winter Games 2014 (Sochi, Russia)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's Downhill Visually Impaired Final Round 2014-03-08 3
Men's Super-G Visually Impaired Final Round 2014-03-09 3
Men's Slalom Visually Impaired Final Round 2014-03-13 9999
Men's Super Combined Visually Impaired Final Round 2014-03-14 9999
Men's Giant Slalom Visually Impaired Final Round 2014-03-15 1
2015 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships Panorama (Panorama, Canada)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's Downhill VI Race 1 2015-03-04 1
Men's Super-G VI Race 1 2015-03-05 2
2017 IPC Alpine skiing World Championships Tarvisio, ITA (Tarvisio, Italy)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's Downhill VI Race 1 2017-01-25 1
Men's Super-G VI Race 1 2017-01-26 1
Men's Super-Combined VI Race 1 2017-01-28 2
Men's Giant Slalom VI Race 1 2017-01-30 1
Men's Slalom VI Race 1 2017-01-31 1
Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games (Pyeongchang, South Korea)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Men's Downhill Visually Impaired Final 2018-03-10 1
Men's Super-G Visually Impaired Final 2018-03-11 9999
Men's Super Combined Visually Impaired Final 2018-03-13 9999
Men's Giant Slalom Visually Impaired Final 2018-03-14 3
Men's Slalom Visually Impaired Final 2018-03-17 4