After Oksana Masters won the first US gold medal of the 2022 Beijing Paralympics on Saturday by taking first in the women’s biathlon sitting sprint, the Ukraine-born star dedicated her victory to the people of her homeland.
Masters, who finished the 6km course in 20min 51.2sec with a 100% accuracy in two prone shootings, shared the podium with Kendall Gretsch, another American season-straddling, multi-sport threat who earned the bronze four years after taking gold in Pyeongchang. China’s Yilin Shan won silver for the host country.
“I owe a lot to my mom and then it is for Team Ukraine and Ukrainian people,” Masters said. “It is as much for Team USA as is for Ukraine. I’m so proud to be Ukrainian, to be American and represent both and that’s the power of sports that you can represent so much more than just one thing.”
For the 32-year-old Masters, it marked her 11th career Paralymic medal – and fifth gold – less then eight months her road cycling golds in time trial and road race at the Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.
Her eighth career Winter Paralympic medal lifted Masters into a tie for third all-time among US women behind only alpine skiiers Sarah Will and Sarah Billmeier, who won 13 apiece. She could race up to seven times over nine days in Beijing, placing that record squarely in target.
But for all the silverware in her trophy cabinet, Saturday’s win marked her first biathlon title in three tries.
“My first biathlon gold medal and I never thought I will ever, ever achieve this and hence it is so special,” she said. “This was my third time around, I played in Sochi and I played PyeongChang and to finally get it in Beijing was special. To share that podium, I think from day one is great, incredible things are coming for [Team USA].
Masters, who was born with defects believed to be from the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident, spent the first seven years of her life in three different Ukraine orphanages before she was adopted by a Kentucky woman.
Afterward, Masters said that she sympathized with her fellow competitors from Russia and Belarus who were forced to withdraw due to the Ukraine conflict.
“It is sad and my heart goes out for the Russian and Belarusian athletes,” Masters said. “Honestly, I was at the dinning hall and one of them came and hugged me and was crying because they wanted to compete.
“I wish that we are living in a world where every single athletes from every country could represent every part of the world. Come together and brace each other together and participate not against each other but with each other. I wish they were here and I hope for peace really really soon. I can’t wait to race with the Russian athletes and the Belarusian athletes.”
Gretsch, who was born with spina bifida, took bronze in Saturday’s event after winning gold in the paratriathlon at the Summer Paralympics in August.
The 29-year-old from Downers Grove, Illinois, also won two golds at the 2018 Paralympics – one in 6km biathlon and one in 12km cross-country skiing – only two years after first taking up Nordic skiing after learning that her paratriathlon class wouldn’t be included in the 2016 Rio Games.
