Canada’s Natalie Wilkie, Brian McKeever capture para cross-country gold

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This article was published 09/03/2022 (1327 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BEIJING – Natalie Wilkie of Salmon Arm, B.C. and Brian McKeever Canmore Alta., along with guide Russell Kennedy, captured gold medals in the women’s sprint standing para cross-country skiing race and the men’s vision impaired cross-country skiing sprint at the 2022 Beijing Paralympics.

Wilike won in a time of four minutes 5.1 seconds, a full three seconds faster than silver medallist Vilde Nilsen of Norway. Sydney Peterson of the United States won the bronze in the competition.

McKeever captured his 15th Paralympic gold in a time of three minutes 19.5 seconds. He beat out the United States’ Jake Adicoff and Zebastian Modin of Sweden to win gold.

This is the fifth Paralympic medal the 21-year-old Wilkie has earned in her career and the third gold.

She also won a gold in the 15-kilometre race earlier during the Games.

For McKeever, 42, the gold was the 19th Paralympic medal he’s won in his career.

Bracebridge, Ont., native Collin Cameron also won a medal for Canada on Wednesday. He won a bronze in the men’s sprint sitting para cross-country skiing race in a time of two minutes 46.3 seconds.

Cameron finished behind the Chinese pair of Zheng Peng and Mao Zhongwu. Peng’s gold, was the first-ever para cross-country medal for China in Paralympic history.

Cameron previously won a bronze in the men’s long distance sitting para cross-country skiing race earlier during the Games.

It’s the fifth Paralympic medal Cameron has earned in his career.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 9, 2022.