Winter Paralympics: biathletes Liu Zixu and Guo Yijie win China’s win first gold medals, hosts smash previous record by 7
- The 24-year-old Liu switched from Para archery to clinch China’s second-ever Winter Paralympics gold – ‘it’s very challenging’
- Teammates Liu and Shan earn silvers, while Para Alpine skiers Zhang, Zhu and Liu add to the history making tally
Chinese Para biathletes Liu Zixu and Guo Yujie won the country’s first gold medals of the Beijing Winter Paralympics in the men’s sprint sitting and women’s sprint standing, respectively, on Saturday.
The hosts got off to a super start on day one of the Games, shooting to second in the overall medal table with eight – two gold, three silver and three bronze medals. A much fired-up Ukraine leads the tally with three golds.
Aside from Liu and Guo’s golds, teammates Shan Yilin won silver in the women’s sprint sitting, Liu Mengtao clinched bronze in men’s sprint sitting, and Zhao Zhiqing bronze in the women’s sprint standing in Zhangjiakou throughout in the day.
The two Lius were considered medal favourites, with 24-year-old Xian native Liu Zixu dominating the European circuit having switched from Para archery, and 21-year-old Hebei athlete Liu Mengtao not far behind.
Liu Zixu won China’s first Para biathlon gold at the Para Cross-Country Skiing Europa Cup in Finland last year, while Liu Mengtao took silver.
The pair, who lost their legs in a car accident early in life, are also considered medal contenders for the cross-country skiing events, as is women’s biathlon entrant Shan.
“The medal means that I stood on the top of the podium as a Para biathlete competing for my country internationally. I’m really proud,” Liu Zixu told Reuters.
