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Canada's Natalie Wilkie, Brian McKeever capture para cross-country gold

BEIJING — Natalie Wilkie of Salmon Arm, B.C. and Brian McKeever Canmore Alta.

BEIJING — Natalie Wilkie of Salmon Arm, B.C. and Brian McKeever Canmore Alta., along with guide Russell Kennedy, captured gold medals in the women's sprint standing para cross-country skiing race and the men's vision impaired cross-country skiing sprint at the 2022 Beijing Paralympics.

Wilike won in a time of four minutes 5.1 seconds, a full three seconds faster than silver medallist Vilde Nilsen of Norway. Sydney Peterson of the United States won the bronze in the competition.

McKeever captured his 15th Paralympic gold in a time of three minutes 19.5 seconds. He beat out the United States' Jake Adicoff and Zebastian Modin of Sweden to win gold.

This is the fifth Paralympic medal the 21-year-old Wilkie has earned in her career and the third gold.

She also won a gold in the 15-kilometre race earlier during the Games.

For McKeever, 42, the gold was the 19th Paralympic medal he's won in his career.

Bracebridge, Ont., native Collin Cameron also won a medal for Canada on Wednesday. He won a bronze in the men's sprint sitting para cross-country skiing race in a time of two minutes 46.3 seconds.

Cameron finished behind the Chinese pair of Zheng Peng and Mao Zhongwu. Peng's gold, was the first-ever para cross-country medal for China in Paralympic history.

Cameron previously won a bronze in the men's long distance sitting para cross-country skiing race earlier during the Games.

It's the fifth Paralympic medal Cameron has earned in his career.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 9, 2022.

The Canadian Press