March 10, 2014 (Sochi, Russia) – Oksana Masters won the USA’s first medal of the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games taking home the silver in the women’s 12km sitting cross-country skiing race on Sunday as Lyudmyla Pavlenko won the Ukraine’s first gold medal in Sochi. Masters’ silver was also the first U.S. women’s Paralympic medal in cross-country in 20 years.

Flower ceremony (l-r) Oksana 2nd, Pavlenko 1st, Konovalova 3rd © Buzz Covington Photography

Pavlenko led throughout the entire course and finished in a time of 38:54.3 followed by Masters, who was thrilled with her silver medal-winning performance considering she is new to cross-country skiing. She won a bronze medal in rowing at the London 2012 Summer Games.

Visually impaired skier, Michelle Drolet was the last American woman to medal in cross-country, claiming bronze in the women’s 5km free technique at the Lillehammer 1994 Paralympic Winter Games.

“I am ecstatic,” Masters said.

“The course for me was tricky because I am a fairly new skier still and the course had some tight turns. So I just tried to stay calm and relax on the turns and then just hammer home.”

USA's Oksana (r) in action... © Buzz Covington Photography

Even though she said the course was difficult in parts, Masters still managed to hold second spot for the duration of the race and completed the course in 39:16.0, which was 22 seconds behind the race winner Pavlenko.

Masters is an accomplished rower who won a bronze medal in rowing at the 2012 Paralympic Games, but is still relatively new to the sport of Nordic skiing. Her silver medal performance today came just one day after making her Paralympic Winter Games debut and less than one year after taking up the sport.

“It’s pretty amazing I am in disbelief. I have been rowing for 10 years and only skiing for less than a year,” noted Masters. “I really have to thank my training from rowing because it prepared me well for skiing; I am so happy right now.”

Russia’s Svetlana Konovalova added a bronze medal to the silver she claimed on Day 1 in the women’s 6km sitting biathlon. The 24-year-old remained strong in third place as she crossed the line 10 seconds ahead of Norway’s Mariann Marthinsen in 39:49.8

Tatyana McFadden, winner of six IPC Athletics World Championship gold medals last year in Lyon, France, finished in fifth place in her Paralympic Winter Games debut. The 24-year-old, a Russian adoptee, enjoyed the conditions of her first skiing race and said it was great to have the support of all her family from both countries.

“It was perfect,” McFadden said. “The snow conditions were right up my alley. It was a great day of skiing and the 12km is hard, especially for someone who is new. I’ve been skiing less than a year so I just had to ski with my heart today and having my family in the stands was absolutely wonderful.”

McFadden, who was born in St. Petersburg, Russia and was adopted by American Deborah McFadden at age six, was cheered on by a large group of family and friends in the stands.  The group included her birth mother as well as several other family members from both Russia and the U.S.

“This race is absolutely the hardest for me because distance races take a lot of technique and a lot of strength so I am really proud of myself,” said McFadden. “In Germany at the World Cup I was in ninth so to go from ninth to fifth in the last couple of weeks makes me extremely happy.”

“I was really nervous after having only skied for a year so I really had to ski with my heart today. Having my family in the stands was absolutely wonderful and helped motivate me,” admitted McFadden.

Also competing for the U.S. in the 12km race were Monica Bascio (Evergreen, Colo.) who finished in seventh and Beth Requist (Winter Park, Colo.) who finished in 16th.

Meanwhile, legendary Paralympian, Colette Bourgonje, was the lone Canadian in the women’s 12-kilometre sit ski race. The 10-time Paralympic medallist (six winter and four summer medals) from Saskatoon posted a time of 45:50.3 for 13th place.

“It was a very technical course. I had trouble in every corner and it turns a lot,” said the 52-year-old Bourgonje, who has competed in every Winter Paralympics.  “Every day that we have gone out, the conditions are different so it is very difficult. I will need to make some adjustments to my equipment for the rest of the week, but I gave it all I had today.”

Andrea Eskau, who won gold in the women’s 6km sitting biathlon on day one, did not finish the race due to problems with her asthma.

Earlier in the day, Russia secured a sweep on the podium in the men’s 15km sitting race. Roman Petushkov collected his second gold medal of the games with his teammates Irek Zaripov and Aleksandr Davidovich collecting silver and bronze.

“I want to thank my whole team. We did this together,” said Petushkov

Like on Day 1, Petushkov stormed ahead as he led his Russian compatriots by 20 seconds at the 3km stage. He was fully in control by the 9km stage after he opened up a 60-second gap to allow him to stroll across the line in 40:51.6.

Zaripov battled through the last 4km beat Davidovich to the silver medal, finishing in 41:55.1 with Davidovich following in 42:08.6 to complete a sweep of the podium for the Russian men.

The U.S. had a strong showing in the men’s 15km cross-country race, recording two top-10 finishes.
Army veteran Andy Soule (San Antonio, Texas) continued to impress in these Games, finishing fifth in the race, a day after finishing fourth in the 7.5km biathlon. Soule finished today’s race in a time of 42:53.8.

Soule’s strong performances on the first two days of competition have Team Leader John Farra excited for the rest of his events. “Andy really knows himself, he knows his training and he really knows what it takes to get to a peak performance state and he’s just nailed it.

Everything is really coming together for him … all the sudden everything is clicking, just the way he planned it,” said Farra.
Joining him in the top-10 was Air Force veteran Sean Halsted (Spokane, Wash). Halsted finished in ninth with a time of 44:57.9.

Also in action in the 15km cross-country race were Aaron Pike (Park Rapids, Minn.), Lt. Cmdr. Dan Cnossen (Topeka, Kan.), Augusto Perez (East Syracuse, N.Y.) and retired Army Staff Sergeant Bryan Price (Leeton, Mo.).

It was a frustrating day for Canada’s Para-Nordic sit skiers, who battled the highly technical course at Sochi’s Laura Stadium during the opening day of cross-country ski races at the Paralympic Winter Games.

Christopher Klebl (CAN) © Matthew Murnaghan/Canadian Paralympic Committee

Chris Klebl, of Canmore, Alta., appeared destined for the podium in the early-goings of the men’s 15-kilometre race, but faltered in the final five kilometres where he dropped back into sixth spot. The three-time Paralympian, and first since moving to Canada from the United States, clocked-in at 43:06.9 on a tough day the demanding Nordic venue.

“I’ll let you know in a couple of days,” said a disappointed Klebl when asked if he was content with the result in the finish area.
Klebl was passed by a flurry of Russians in the final half of the race. The host nation went on to sweep the men’s podium.

Sébastien Fortier (CAN) © Matthew Murnaghan/Canadian Paralympic Committee

Two other Canadian men battled the challenging conditions. Quebec City’s Sebastien Fortier was the next best Canuck in 18th place. The 27-year-old, two-time Paralympian fought through the difficult conditions to post a time of 51:43.3. Yves Bourque, of Becancour, Que., was 20th at 55:25.4.

“It was a lot more difficult than I expected today. The turns are icy and it was really hard to go fast in the softer snow today,” said Fortier. “There was a lot of people on the track and it was tough to choose the right line today. I have had some injuries so I’m not as strong as I would have liked to be right now, but I’m happy to be fit enough to race.”

Yves Bourque © Matthew Murnaghan/Canadian Paralympic Committee

Ukraine’s silver medallist in the men’s 7.5km biathlon, Maksym Yarovyi, finished 0.2 seconds behind in fourth but Japan’s Kozo Kubo, a regular podium finisher this year, struggled to cope with the demands of the course. He finished in 14th place.

A big talking point of the race was also Brazil’s first-ever Winter Paralympian. Fernando Rocha was the 15th man to finish but he said it was a great honour to be the first winter athlete to compete for his country.

“When I reached the finish line I was so proud. The first one from Brazil to finish a race at a winter games,” Rocha said of his achievement.

“This is to show everyone the journey I had. I’ve only been in this sport for about one year and six months and there is not a lot of snow in Brazil. I am just so proud to be the first person from Brazil to represent my country in a Paralympic Winter Games.”