Milano Cortina 2026
Natalie Wilkie secures Canada's first gold at Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics
Natalie Wilkie from Salmon Arm, B.C., captured Canada's inaugural gold medal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, dominating the women's 12.5-kilometer standing biathlon on March 8.
The 25-year-old crossed the finish line in 33 minutes and 1.8 seconds without shooting penalties, as reported by CBC Sports.
Wilkie, who earned silver in the women's standing sprint the previous day, outpaced China's Zhao Zhiqing (silver, 33:33.5) and Ukraine's Oleksandra Kononova (bronze, 33:37.9) in the individual event at the Tes Cross-Country Skiing venue.
"I applied [gold glitter] before the race, manifesting my intentions for the day. I wore my gold glasses and carried my gold poles; I was fully aware of what I wanted today," Wilkie said afterward, as quoted by CBC Sports.
Photo: Prime Minister of Canada/X
This marks Wilkie's second medal of the Games, building on Canada's strong opening day with silvers from Kalle Eriksson/Sierra Smith in para alpine skiing and Wilkie's sprint, plus bronze for Kurt Oatway, per the Canadian Paralympic Committee.
Competing in the standing category due to partial vision impairment from retinoblastoma diagnosed at age five, Wilkie has risen rapidly in para-biathlon since her 2022 Paralympic debut.
Her training in the harsh Okanagan winters honed the precision needed for ski-skate transitions and rifle steadiness, often under sub-zero conditions.
Her performance underscores a significant improvement from Beijing 2022, where she placed lower in early races.
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