Cristian Westemaier Ribera grew up skating down the streets of hometown Cerejeiras to help with his mobility; little did he know that it would help him claim Brazil’s first-ever Winter Paralympic medal.
The 23-year-old para cross-country skier won silver in the men’s sprint sitting at Milano-Cortina having trained on roller skis, owing to the lack of snow in Brazil.
He finished just 0.7 seconds behind China’s Zixu Liu, who claimed gold, and to make history 6000 miles away from home in the snowy Dolomites.
“It is so emotional. It was very good. I would’ve wanted to come away with a gold medal but the Chinese was very strong. So I’m very pleased,” he said.
“It was always my dream. When I started to compete in this sport, I thought I would be a Paralympian. After I did that, my goal was to win a medal. And now it’s happened, so I’m very, very proud.
“We always train so hard in Brazil. We don’t have snow. It’s very different, it’s very difficult, but I’m here, representing Brazil and I’m very happy.”
It marks a continued rise of the South American nation in winter sports after alpine skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won Brazil’s first medal at a Winter Olympics just three weeks before.
And Ribera, who was the youngest competitor at PyeongChang 2018 at just 15 years old, watched on with aspirations of replicating that feat in the Paralympics.
“We were watching him winning his medal,” he said. “The champions train their whole life and it is just a unique moment. So, thank you, Brazil.”
Para cross-country skiing also saw Russian and Ukrainian athletes stand side-by-side on a Paralympic start line for the first time since Russia’s invasion in 2022.
It followed the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow Russia and Belarus to compete under their flag for the first time since Sochi 2014.
Anastasiia Bagiian won Russia’s second gold of the Games in the women’s sprint classic VI, with Ukrainian Oksana Shyshkova progressing to the semi-finals.
In the men’s sprint classic standing event, Belarus’ Raman Svirydzenka beat Ukraine’s Serafym Drahun in the semi-final and went on to win his nation’s first medal at the Games, with gold.
The Russian national anthem has now played twice at the Games, but to muted reaction with Ukraine and Russia yet to have to share a podium.
There is little doubt, however, that athletes of both nations know the worth of medals and their accompanying ceremonies to national pride, and as a form of soft power.
“Glory to Ukraine. I’m really happy and I would like to dedicate my victory to all the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian army because nowadays in Ukraine it’s difficult times,” said Para biathlon gold medallist Oleksandra Kononova.
“We have a war and Ukraine is fighting. We are also trying to represent Ukraine as much as we can. I’m really happy that today I have a gold medal so we will have the anthem of Ukraine here.”
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