Russian athletes took the second place in the medal standings of the Paralympic games, despite the fact that men’s ski and biathlon team and sledge hockey team could not perform in Pyeongchang. Our Paralympians won a total of 24 medals: 8 gold, 10 silver and 6 bronze.
The greatest contribution was made by women who performed both in Cross-Country Skiing and Biathlon. Ekaterina Rumyantseva won three gold and two silver medals, Mikhalina Lysova and Anna Milenina won two gold and three silver medals, and in the collection of Lysova there is one more medal, bronze. Alpine skier Alexey Bugaev won gold and silver medals.
Milenina won in 2006 Turin. Thus now there are seven Paralympic titles in her collection. Lysova, who was allowed to participate in the Games at the last moment, now has six. Bugaev, who won in two disciplines in 2014 Sochi, is now a three-time Paralympic champion.
As you know, our country was banned from the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. Last year, in early September, the IPC decided to maintain the submission of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RCC), but has allowed Russian athletes to take part in the qualifying competition under a neutral flag. Alas, in men’s skiing and biathlon there was no vacant quotas, and Russian sledge hockey players missed the 2017 World Cup, which served as a qualifying tournament for the Paralympics, although at the previous world championships two years earlier they won bronze. Those 30 athletes who made their way to the Games, performed in the status of Neutral Paralympic Athletes (NPA) without mentioning Russia.
President of the IPC Andrew Parsons at the final press conference admitted that our Paralympians were in the hardest conditions, but showed ‘amazing spirit’ and behaved properly. No problems associated with their participation in the Games, occurred. ‘This is a positive sign,’ the President said.
First place in the overall medal standings was grabbed by the United States (13+15+8), third place went to Canada (8+4+16). Our athletes surpassed it thanks to the number of silver medals. Then went France (7+8+5), Germany (7+8+4), Ukraine (7+7+8), Slovakia (6+4+1) and Belarus (4+4+4).
Here is a list of our medalists:
Gold medals-8
- Ekaterina Rumyantseva – Biathlon Women’s 10km and 6km, Cross-Country Skiing 15km Free, Standing, among Paralympic athletes with spinal injuries;
- Anna Milenina – Biathlon 12.5km, Cross-Country Skiing 1.5km Sprint Classic Style, Standing, among Paralympic athletes with spinal injuries;
- Mikhalina Lysova – Biathlon 12.5km and 6km, Visually Impaired;
- Alexey Bugaev – Alpine Skiing, Super Combined, Standing, among Paralympic athletes with spinal injuries.
Silver medals-10
- Ekaterina Rumyantseva – Biathlon Women’s 12.5km, Cross-Country Skiing 7.5k, Classic Style, Standing, among Paralympic athletes with spinal injuries;
- Anna Milenina – Biathlon Women’s 10km and 6km, Cross-Country Skiing 15 km Free, Standing, among Paralympic athletes with spinal injuries;
- Mikhalina Lysova- Biathlon Women’s 10km and Cross-Country Skiing 1.5km Sprint, Cross-Country Skiing 7.5km Classic Style, Visually Impaired;
- Alexey Bugaev – Giant Slalom, Standing, among Paralympic athletes with spinal injuries;
- Marta Zainullina – Biathlon Women’s 10km, Sitting.
Bronze medals-6
- Mikhalina Lysova – Cross-Country Skiing 15km, Free, Visually Impaired;
- Marta Zaynullina – Cross-Country Skiing 1.1km Sprint and Cross-Country Skiing 5km, Sitting;
- Valery Redkozubov – Alpine Skiing, Super Combined and Slalom, Visually Impaired;
- Irina Gulyaeva – Biathlon 10km, Sitting.
