oksana masters delivered the United States’ first medals of the Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics on Saturday at Val di Fiemme, leading an American one-two in the women’s 7. 5km sitting sprint. The 36-year-old won gold in 21: 21. 3, finishing 16 seconds ahead of teammate Kendall Gretsch, who took silver. The result gave Team USA an immediate podium push early in the Games, with Germany’s Anja Wicker taking bronze.
Oksana Masters seals gold as the race turns on snow speed
The decisive moment came after both Americans were flawless on the range. Oksana Masters and Kendall Gretsch each shot a perfect 10-for-10, leaving the medal order to be settled by pace and endurance on the course. Oksana Masters proved fastest over the full distance and pulled away on the final lap to lock down the win.
The gold was the 10th Paralympic gold medal of her career and her 20th Paralympic medal overall. The victory also further extends her standing as the most decorated winter athlete in US Paralympic history.
Immediate reactions: “Incredible to have one and two for the USA”
After the finish, Masters emphasized the meaning of sharing the podium with her teammate.
“It’s incredible to have one and two for the USA, ” Oksana Masters said. “Not just one and two USA, but with your friend who is also a great competitor. She pushes me on the range and we push each other on the course. ”
Health setbacks shaped the buildup, but the podium arrived first
The win comes after a difficult buildup to the Games for Masters. She said she dealt with surgery during the summer and health setbacks in recent weeks, including an infection and a concussion that limited her training.
Still, Saturday’s performance showed control in the technical phase and strength in the closing kilometers, with the race ultimately decided by speed on snow after identical shooting lines from the two Americans.
Quick context: a multi-sport, multi-season Paralympic career
Masters is a double leg amputee and has competed in every Paralympics since 2012, earning medals in Para cross-country and Para biathlon in the winter and Para cycling and Para rowing in the summer. She is competing in her eighth Paralympics and has now won 15 medals in the Winter Games (six gold) and five medals in the Summer Games (four gold).
In the run-up to Milano Cortina, she described the challenge of peaking across winter and summer seasons in the same year. “Trying to peak both in the summer and winter in one year is the hardest thing to try and perfect, ” Masters said, adding that the transition demands rebuilding her body regularly and can be mentally and physically taxing.
What’s next: more medals on the line Sunday in Val di Fiemme
Para biathlon competition continues Sunday in Val di Fiemme with the individual events, as athletes contest additional medals across the sitting, standing, and visually impaired classifications. With momentum from Saturday’s American one-two, oksana masters now turns immediately to the next start line, where the field will reset and the medals will be decided again shot by shot and lap by lap.
