Canada has returned from Beijing after winning 25 medals in the 2022 Winter Paralympics. They ranked third in total medals among all countries. This is the second most medals Canada has won in the Winter Paralympics, since winning 28 medals four years ago.
Paralympics Reporter, Devin Heroux, says Canada’s performance has been outstanding despite all the public health restrictions they had to deal with. “You could see the emotion of the athletes when they finished their races.”
Canada’s chef de mission Josh Dueck says their performance was a huge success for a lot of reasons.
Alpine skier Mollie Jepsen won gold and silver despite competing with a torn ACL. She will need to have surgery on her torn knee ligaments.
Cross-country skier, Brian McKeever, won three gold medals for Canada. He has a career record of 16 gold medals, tied with German Alpine skier Gerd Schoenfelder for the most victories by a male winter Paralympian.
Canada’s para ice hockey team came home with silver medals after losing to the Americans in the gold medal game. Canada beat South Korea 11-0 to advance to the finals. However, the U.S defeated the Canadians 5-0 to claim gold.
Canada won bronze in the cross-country skiing’s mixed relay. The team included Collin Cameron, Emily Young, Mark Arendz, and Natalie Wilkie. They finished with a time of 27:00:6.
Mark Arendz and Natalie Wilkie won the most medals for Canada, with four each. Arendz won three medals in the biathlon. Wilkie won two gold and one silver in cross country. And each of them were part of the mixed relay squad that won bronze.
Ukraine won 29 medals to finish second despite having only 20 athletes. “This was one of the toughest decisions they’ve had to make in their life, leaving their country to continue competing,” said Heroux. It was tough for Ukraine’s athletes to keep competing because their country is currently in a war with Russia.
China finished at the top of the medal table, winning 61 in total, 18 of which were gold. “By far, their best performance ever at a Winter Olympics,” said Heroux.
“These are athletes who have spent their entire lives preparing for this moment,” said Heroux. “The Paralympians showcased that in the most beautiful way.”
The Paralympics concluded almost six weeks of global sports in China that began with the Winter Olympics starting on February 4th.
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