March 15, 2010 (Whistler, BC) – On day two of the Paralympic Games cross-country skiers applauded the fast, well tracked conditions at Whistler Paralympic Park as snow temperatures remained just below zero. The battle was Russia versus Italy, the Ukraine and Norway as Roman Petushkov (RUS) led through every split, as his teammate Irek Zaripov traded second, third and fourth with Enzo Masiello of Italy, Trygve Toskedal Larsen of Norway, and Iuri Kostiuk of the Ukraine, the defending gold medalist from Torino.

But Zaripov picked it up in the final 3.75km to take the gold medal in 41:01:1, his second of the games as he’d won the 2.4km biathlon pursuit event the day before. Petushkov was just ten seconds behind to make it one-two for the Russians. Masiello took the bronze, 57:2 seconds back while Larsen placed fourth 1:16:2 minutes behind, and Kostiuk, who won the silver in biathlon the day before, placed fifth, 1:24:2 minutes back.

The American team, who only started working with the US Biathlon Association in the past couple of years had a very strong showing, with Chris Klebl, who is ranked 4th overall in World Cup points, placing 8th (2:21:7 minutes back), Sean Halsted 9th (2:27:5 back) and biathlon bronze medalist from the day before, Andy Soule, in10th (2:31:7 back). Soule is 9th overall in World Cup standings. Other North Americans were USA’s Greg Mallory in 26th 5:50:5 minutes back, and Lou Gibson and Sebastien Fortier in 29th, 6:52:7 and 10:45:4 minutes back respectively. Fortier just started sit ski racing in 2009 after becoming a paraplegic at fifteen due to a workplace injury.

“We have a special strategy” said Zaripov about the Russian team’s approach to the race. “We start calm, then go faster and add speed. At the end of the race, we work harder to increase speed. The distance is quite hard but I count on strength to adjust for the whole distance. The time intervals were kind of difficult,” he said, referring to split times that showed how close the top ten skiers were until the last few kilometres.

“This year, we worked hard with our trainer,” Zaripov added. “We have a special strategy and schedule. It’s not easy here. At the Paralympics Games everyone trains a lot. Everyone is equal.” Zaripov added he doesn’t know if the Russian team will be dominant. “We just race and compete with each other. We do not decide who gets medals.”

Teammate Petushkov also raced in the biathlon, but, unknowingly used his rifle that had been broken in transit. He said Sunday’s silver medal was cathartic for Saturday’s frustrations, but added that the frustrations still had an affect on his performance, and revealed a particularly emotional relationship to his sports equipment. “I was quite nervous because in the previous race my rifle was broken. That did affect today’s performance because your gun, that’s like your wife. I was with this rifle for three years. But it will be okay for the next competition.”

“I really exploded on the first laps because I was so fed up with yesterday’s results. You can’t predict things. So the medal today was revenge for yesterday’s bad luck.”

Petushkov also said the Russian Paralympians have a particularly tough job at these Games. “We wanted some revenge for the Olympics, where Russia did not do too well. I am proud of my country, my team and myself. In Russia, nobody knows the Para-athletes.”

Italian bronze medalist Masiello, who was fourth in this event in 2006, found the race rewarding. “I have taken a place on the podium which I missed in Torino by a few seconds. Finally, I can throw away this memory and I am never ever going to think of it again. I am very happy. This was a great race. I just kept going, though the first laps were a bit difficult. I really made the most of it today.”

The USA’s Soule was also very happy with his results, given the effort he put into his bronze medal win on Sunday. “Everything went well. I felt in top form. In this field that’s a good finish. It was a fast, fast course,” said Soule, who lost his legs to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. His team mate Sean Halsted was injured while descending a “fast rope” from an American military helicopter.

Full results here.