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Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics: China roars to top as Natalie Wilkie gives Canada its first gold
Chinese para-athletes dominated different snowboarding categories, depending on the athlete's category.
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Prabhjot Paul Singh - Mon, 09, Mar 2026
- 05:52 EDT
- 26
View from the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony / X/@Paralympics
Asian giant China roared to the top by taking its medal tally to 16 with eight gold, while Natalie Wilkie gave Canada its first gold of the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics on March 8. Natalie Wilkie manifested a gold-medal performance by applying gold glitter to her cheekbones before her race on March 8.
She sealed victory in the women’s 12.5 km individual standing race—clinched Canada’s first gold of the games and her first Paralympic victory in Para biathlon. “Now that I know gold gets gold, I might have to keep wearing it for the rest of the week,” Wilkie, who competes in several more events, said. Yesterday, she wore silver glitter makeup and ended up with silver bling around her neck during the paratriathlon sprint.
ALSO READ: Milano Cortina Paralympics get off to a sparkling start
Chinese para-athletes dominated different snowboarding categories, depending on the athlete's category. Wiu Zhungwa, Lijia Ji, Yue Weng, and Hesong Deng contributed a gold medal each to China’s tally in the event.
China also had gold in the individual sitting in para-biathlon through Zuu Lim.
Italian rider Emanuel Perathoner, a favourite to claim dual titles at Milano Cortina 2026, did not disappoint local fans, powering home in the snowboard cross to win the host nation’s first gold medal. Perathoner represented Italy twice before at the Olympics. He has had to reinvent himself as a Paralympian following a major injury and a knee replacement. With many Italian fans on hand, he stormed home in the men’s snowboard cross SB-LL2 big final ahead of Australia’s Ben Tudhope and the Republic of Korea’s Jehyuk Lee. “It's so close to my hometown, so doing it in front of my family was the best part,” Perathoner said.
In para biathlon, Korea's Yunji Kim chose International Women’s Day to claim a gold medal in the women's sitting 12.5 km para biathlon race. The feat is extra special because her name will be added to the history books as the first female athlete from Korea to win an individual medal at the Winter Paralympics. The 19-year-old athlete, competing at her first Paralympics, upset more experienced opponents—Germany's Anja Wicker, who settled for silver, and Team USA’s Kendall Gretsch, who took bronze.
"I can’t believe that I got the gold medal...I feel like I am dreaming right now," Kim said. "I'm just happy to be competing with all the many top-level worldwide stars," she told media after the event.
Seventeen-year-old Czech para-biathlete Simona Bubenickova won a silver medal in the 12.5 km individual visually impaired category. China’s Yue Wang netted gold, and Germany’s Johanna Recktenwald rounded out the podium.
Canada recorded a dramatic win over Great Britain in the mixed wheelchair curling team in a nail-biting finish that ended in the Canadians' favour at 5-4 in the round-robin encounter. The Canadians staged a remarkable comeback in this contest. It all came down to the last end, where Canada scored three to eke out the victory, much to the delight of a strong contingent of Canadian fans.
"They came out swinging today, had a really good start against us, and kept the pressure on us the whole game, right down to the eighth (and final) end,” Canadian wheelchair curler Mark Ideson said.
Canada’s wheelchair curling mixed team has won a medal at every Paralympics since the sport was added to the Winter Games in 2006.
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