Winter Paralympics 2022: Ukraine top medal table on day one while Millie Knight and Brett Wild win Great Britain’s first medal | Olympics News

Millie Knight and guide Brett Wild collected Great Britain’s first medal of the Games with bronze in the women’s visually-impaired downhill.

Grygorii Vovchynskyi won Ukraine’s first gold

Ukraine closed out day one of the Beijing Winter Paralympics at the top of the overall leaderboard after clinching seven medals including three golds.

Grygorii Vovchynskyi emerged victorious in the men’s sprint standing biathlon before dedicating his gold to Ukraine as his country continues to defend itself against the Russian invasion.

Vitaliy Lukyanenko, Oleksandr Kazik and Dmytro Suiarko clinched gold, silver and bronze, respectively in the men’s sprint vision impaired biathlon, while Taras Rad won silver in the men’s sprint seated event.

Oksana Shyshkova claimed gold in the women’s sprint vision impaired biathlon, and Liudmyla Liashenko finished second in the women’s sprint standing.

“It was difficult for me when the war began. I cried every day,” Vovchynskyi said, according to the BBC.

“I didn’t understand what happened. What can I do? I can dedicate this race to Ukraine, for peace [for the] people in Ukraine.

“Please stop war, it’s very important for our children.”

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Ukraine’s Paralympians gathered ahead of the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympics to call for peace in their country amid the ongoing Russian invasion.

GB off the mark

Millie Knight and guide Brett Wild collected Great Britain’s first medal of the Games as they won bronze in the women’s visually-impaired downhill, following up their silver from four years ago.

Menna Fitzpatrick and guide Gary Smith meanwhile came in fifth place, while Neil Simpson and brother Andrew finished seventh in the men’s visually impaired downhill.

Millie Knight in action during the Women’s Downhill Vision Impaired Para Alpine Skiing

“At the start, I was just thinking, find the seconds, do anything you can do to go faster, it doesn’t matter if you’re scared, keep going,” said Knight, who had previously questioned her future in the sport after several crashes.

“This bronze is something very special. It ranks above our silver four years ago in Pyeongchang.

“We have gone through some tough things and it has changed us.

“Brett’s belief and confidence in me has very much inspired me and made me want to do it, not just for me, my family, friends and sponsors, but for him.

“Crossing the line with a smile on my face was our number one goal. We genuinely didn’t believe we were at the level that would get us a medal, especially with the standard at the moment.

“I feel like I’m on cloud nine and I just genuinely can’t believe that this is happening to us.”

James Whitley was ninth in the men’s standing division, and Scott Meenagh finished ninth in the men’s sprint seated biathlon.