Canadian Paralympians strike gold to go with silver medals on home turf

Canada adds gold to 3 silvers at Paralympics

WHISTLER, British Columbia — Brian McKeever has given Canada its first gold medal of the Paralympics, winning in visually impaired cross-country skiing.

The 30-year-old McKeever won the men’s 20-kilometer event Monday in a time of 51 minutes 14.79 seconds.

McKeever also qualified for the Canadian Olympic team, and was poised to become the first winter sport athlete to compete in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. However, his Olympic coaches decided against starting him in his event.

McKeever has Stargaard’s disease, a genetic disease that reduces his central vision. It’s the fifth Paralympic gold for McKeever, who races with brother Robin as his guide.

On Sunday, Canada took home three silver medals.

Colette Bourgonje captured Canada’s first medal, then Viviane Forest and Josh Dueck added silvers a little later.

Bourgonje was second in the women’s 10-kilometer sit-ski cross-country, finishing in 31 minutes 49.8 seconds to become the first Canadian to win a Paralympic medal on home turf.

“Wow, I’m shocked and I can’t believe it,” the 48-year-old Paralympian said. “Age is nothing, attitude is everything and I lived by that today.”

The only Canadian athlete to have competed in all five Paralympic Winter Games to go along with four Summer Paralympics, Bourgonje was on pace to win gold before crashing on the second of three laps.

“I am still racing because I wanted to compete at a Paralympics in Canada and I’m just so proud to have done this in front of all Canadians,” she said. “I share this medal with the entire country.”

Liudmila Vauchok of Belarus won the gold in 30:52.9, while Olena Iurkovska of Ukraine was third in 32:43.5.

Austria’s Sabine Gasteiger won the women’s slalom for the visually impaired in 2:00.56, with Forest winning a silver in 2:01.45. Forest plans to ski in four more events. Her goal is to win at least one gold and be on the podium in every race.

Australia’s Jessica Gallagher and her guide were third in 2:04.35.

Germany’s Martin Braxenthaler won the gold in men’s slalom sit-ski in 1:41.63, with Canada’s Dueck taking the silver in 1:46.29. Austria’s Philipp Bonadimann won bronze with a time of 1:46.34.

“Bronze, silver, I’m on the podium. This is the best feeling I could ever hope for.”

Dueck is a former freestyle skier and coach who didn’t begin sit-skiing until he suffered a spinal cord injury landing a jump in March 2004.

In wheelchair curling, Canada made its last rock count with a 5-4 win over Norway. Skip Jim Armstrong put his last shot on the four foot, and Norway’s Rune Lorentsen failed to match.

With the win, Canada improve to 3-0; Norway dropped to 1-2.

In sledge hockey, Greg Westlake scored a hat trick and added two assists as Canada beat Sweden 10-1.