China sweep 6 medals on first full competition day of Winter Paralympics

China's Paralympic skiers made a brilliant start to the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Paralympics on Saturday, claiming six medals on the first full day of competition, including the nation's first gold secured by Cai Jiayun in the men's sprint standing biathlon event.

Shan Yilin of China shoots during the women's individual sitting final of para biathon at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Tesero, Italy, March 8, 2026. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)

Cai, 25, completed the 7.5-kilometer race in 17 minutes and 13.6 seconds under clear blue skies at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Val di Fiemme. Thanks to strong skiing and a flawless performance in both shooting rounds, hitting all targets, he finished 21.8 seconds ahead of his teammate Liu Xiaobin, who took silver.

"I'm super excited. I've been competing in this sport for over eight years but I've never won a gold medal in a worldwide competition," Cai said. "This time I finally won gold. I've won too many silvers and this is a perfect conclusion for my career," he added.

Less than an hour after Cai celebrated his victory draped in the national flag, Chinese biathlete Wang Yue claimed the country's second gold on the same snow in the women's sprint for the visually impaired. She clocked in at 19:52.5. Despite one miss in the second shooting round, she edged out silver medalist Carina Edlingerova of the Czech Republic by 28 seconds.

"After the 2022 Beijing Games, I doubted myself but after talking to my coach and getting support from my family and other people surrounding me, I grew up," said the 26-year-old champion, with guide Chen Guoming by her side. "Also, in the past four years of competing, I have gained a lot of experience which has made me mentally strong now, which made me better today so I could win the gold medal," she said.

Liu Zixu of China competes during the men's individual sitting final of para biathon at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Tesero, Italy, March 8, 2026. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)

Para biathlon combines cross-country skiing with target shooting. Athletes race for a total distance between 7.5 and 12.5 kilometers, stopping at the shooting range to hit five targets from 10 meters away. Each miss results in either a one-minute penalty or an additional penalty loop. The sport demands both physical endurance and shooting precision. Athletes compete in three categories: vision impairment, standing, and sitting. The winner is the competitor with the fastest total time.

Earlier on Saturday, para biathlete Liu Mengtao secured silver in the men's sprint sitting event, while defending champion Liu Zixu took bronze. The first medal for the Chinese delegation came on Saturday morning from para alpine skier Liu Sitong, who finished third in the women's downhill sitting event at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina.