Natalie Wilkie secured Canada’s initial gold medal at the Milano-Cortina Paralympics by triumphing in the women’s standing biathlon on Sunday. The 25-year-old athlete from Salmon Arm, B.C., who had clinched a silver medal in the women’s sprint the day before, finished her run in 33 minutes and 1.8 seconds without any shooting errors at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium.
Expressing her exhilaration, Wilkie stated, “Winning the gold was a dream, but I wasn’t overly fixated on it as my focus was on shooting flawlessly and skiing well on the course.” She reflected on her achievement, saying, “I had a feeling it might be enough for a gold medal. It was a significant dream, and today that dream became a reality, leaving me at a loss for words.”
In the competition, China’s Zhao Zhiqing secured the silver medal with a time of 33 minutes and 33.5 seconds, followed by Oleksandra Kononova from Ukraine, who took the bronze with a time of 33 minutes and 37.9 seconds. Wilkie, who shared the honor of being Canada’s co-flag-bearer with ice hockey captain Tyler McGregor, has now amassed a total of four Paralympic gold medals in her career, along with nine medals overall.
Having made her debut at the age of 17 during the Pyeongchang Games in 2018, Wilkie garnered three medals – one of each color – as the youngest member of the team at that time. Despite feeling nervous about the event, Wilkie expressed her desire for a different medal color after her silver win the previous day, emphasizing the importance of focusing on her preparation and the race process.
With two medals secured, Wilkie is set to participate in four more events during the Games. Ahead of the competition, she adorned herself with various gold-themed accessories, such as gold glitter on her face, to visualize success. Fellow Canadian Brittany Hudak from Prince Albert, Sask., finished fifth in a time of 34 minutes and 47 seconds.
On the men’s side, Mark Arendz from Hartsville, P.E.I., claimed the silver medal in the men’s standing classification. Arendz, who celebrated his 36th birthday just before the Games commenced on March 3, overcame an early shooting penalty to finish with a time of 30 minutes and 52.5 seconds.
China’s Cai Jiayun emerged victorious with a time of 30 minutes and 24.1 seconds, securing his second gold medal of the Games, while Germany’s Marco Maier clinched the bronze in 31 minutes and 7.3 seconds.