Kalle Eriksson, alongside guide Sierra Smith, kicked off Canada's medal haul at the Milan Cortina Paralympic Games on Saturday, marking a remarkable debut for the para alpine skier from Kimberley, British Columbia. Eriksson secured a silver medal in the men's visually impaired downhill event, clocking a time of 1:18.33. He finished behind Austria's Johannes Aigner, who took gold with a time of 1:16.08, and narrowly ahead of Italy's Giacomo Bertagnolli, who finished with a time of 1:18.64.
“Both me and Sierra are on top of the world right now and still pumped,” Eriksson expressed, reflecting on the exhilarating experience. “I can’t believe our run and I’m so proud of how we did it.” Smith echoed his sentiments, stating, “It definitely wasn’t perfect, but we hit the points we wanted to, and we skied very strong. We had a good run overall; obviously always room to improve. I’m super happy with our performance today.”
Following Eriksson's success, Calgary’s Kurt Oatway made it two medals for Canada by securing a bronze in the men’s downhill sitting ski event. The 42-year-old finished the race in 1:19.42, just missing out on silver as Netherlands' Niels de Langen clocked in at 1:19.24. Norway’s Jesper Pederson clinched the gold with a time of 1:18.14.
This bronze medal is particularly significant for Oatway, who had a challenging road back to the Paralympics after a devastating crash prior to the 2022 Beijing Games. The injuries he sustained included a broken collarbone, torn ligaments, three broken ribs in five places, and a punctured lung. He initially made his Paralympic debut in 2018, where he won gold in the super-G event. Oatway commented on his comeback, saying, “The road to coming back was long, but here I am, and I’ve got a piece of hardware to show for it. If I keep winning stuff, who knows? Maybe I’ll make another (Paralympic) cycle.”
Para Nordic star Natalie Wilkie from Salmon Arm, British Columbia, contributed to Canada's medal tally by collecting her eighth medal in her third Paralympics. Wilkie won a silver in the women’s standing sprint biathlon event, finishing the 7.5-kilometre course with a time of 18:46.4 and without any shooting penalties. Her previous medals primarily came from individual and relay cross-country events.
Ukraine’s Oleksandra Kononova captured the gold with a time of 18:41.5, while countrywoman Liudmyla Liashenko took bronze in 19:13.9. Wilkie expressed her joy over achieving this milestone, stating, “It doesn’t feel real. This was a big goal of mine heading into the Games, to win a medal in biathlon, and to do it on the first day is so special.”
Additionally, Wilkie noted her challenges with biathlon, particularly in shooting, “It’s the biathlon I struggle with. Compared to my competitors, I’m quite a slow shooter, and so the time I make up is out on the course. I know I’m a pretty fast skier, and today I felt really good. I was able to utilize that on the course.”
Overall, the opening events of the Milan Cortina Paralympic Games showcased the incredible talent and determination of Canadian athletes, and set the stage for a thrilling competition ahead.
