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Natalie Wilkie won Canada’s first gold medal at the Milan Cortina Paralympics on Sunday with a first-place finish in the women’s standing para-biathlon competition.
Wilkie, from Salmon Arm, B.C., finished in 33 minutes 1.8 seconds, more than a half-minute ahead of China’s Zhao Zhiqing (33:33.5). Ukraine’s Oleksandra Kononova took bronze in 33:37.9.
It’s the fourth career Paralympic gold medal for the Canadian flag-bearer and her ninth Paralympic medal overall. She won silver in the women’s standing sprint on Saturday.
“This is pretty unreal,” Wilkie said. “Silver was pretty awesome yesterday, but the gold today is even better. It all came together today. It’s just a race like any other race, but when you add in the crowds and everything that goes along with the Paralympic Games, it all just feels like such a bigger event.
“But I do feel like I’ve had enough exposure at events like this that I was able to still lock in.”
Also Sunday, Mark Arendz of Hartsville, P.E.I., claimed silver in the men’s race for his 13th career Paralympic medal. China’s Jiayun Cai won gold and Germany’s Marco Maier earned bronze.
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“Hearing the split halfway through the race that I was only in 10th place, that’s not something I’m used to,” Arendz said. “But it’s also something I can go to the back pocket and pull out, knowing I’ve been here before and using that experience to just keep pushing.
“I know I can outski a lot of the guys over the distance and keep my head in the game on the range, and that’s what really helped.”
Tyler Turner of Campbell River, B.C., earned bronze in the men’s SB-LL1 snowboard cross as Canada’s medal total rose to six (1-3-2).
Turner, who won gold four years ago, got tangled up with Japanese rider Junta Kosuda in the final. Turner crossed the line fourth, but a post-race review determined Turner should be awarded the bronze.
“The run is going to weigh heavily on me for a while but that’s racing,” Turner said. “We talk about it all the time: the chaos, the crashes, everything. Unfortunately sometimes you have to be a part of it and today I was. I’m proud to still have taken a medal.”
In wheelchair curling, Mark Ideson’s squad improved to 3-0 with a pair of victories. Canada scored three in the eighth end for a 5-4 victory over Great Britain before dumping Norway 9-2 later in the day.
The Canadian Paralympic Committee also confirmed that para-alpine skier Mollie Jepsen of West Vancouver, B.C., would no longer compete at the Games due to a knee injury.
The six-time Paralympic medallist was able to finish the women’s downhill standing competition on Saturday despite the leg issue.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the team around me and all the support that I received to get back here,” said Jepsen. “And beyond that, being part of such an elite group that helped me return to the start gate with confidence in the downhill was something really special.”
“I’m excited to cheer on team Canada from the stands and watch my teammates continue to compete out there,” she said.
Competition continues through March 15.
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