Two visually impaired Canadians win medals at Paralympic Winter Games!

The Canadian Paralympic cross-country team racked up two more medals Wednesday at the Torino Winter Games.

Brian McKeever of Canmore, Atla., captured his third medal and second gold of the Paralympics as he won the men's 10-kilometre visually impaired event.

On the women's side, Saskatoon's Colette Bourgonje captured the bronze in the 5-km sitting competition to improve Canada's medal count to eight.

McKeever was brilliant once again as his guide and brother, Robin, led the 26-year-old down the Pragelato Plan course in a time of 26 minutes, 9.5 seconds.

McKeever was so dominant that he beat silver medallist Vasili Shaptsiaboi of Belarus by 46 seconds.

Russia's Valery Koupchinsky won the bronze in 27:10.2.

McKeever won his first gold in the five kilometre visually impaired competition Sunday. He followed that performance up with a bronze medal in the 7.5-km visually impaired biathlon event.

McKeever competes in the B3 classification for visually impaired athletes. He was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Stargardt's disease in which his eyesight significantly deteriorated.
McKeever's father also suffers from the disease.

Athletes that are in the B1-3 classifications compete with a guide who ski directly in front of them.
The guide directs the skier by voice or radio through all the course changes. No physical contact between the guide and the competitor is allowed except in selected holding zone areas.

Bourgonje looked to be in good position for a silver medal at the halfway point of the race, but was passed by eventual second-place finisher Liudmila Vauchok of Belarus.

Ukraine's Olena Iurkovska won the gold in 16:39.7. The Ukrainian has been the story of these Games, winning four gold medals in dominating fashion.

Shauna Maria Whyte of Hinton, Alta., finished eighth in 18:31.2.

Cook dominates men's standing race

In the men's 10-km standing race, American Steven Cook won the gold in a time of 27:22.8. Cook took the lead at the 5-km mark and beat silver medallist Alfis Makamedinov by 37 seconds.
Makamedinov's teammate Kirill Mikhaylov claimed the bronze in 28:06.5.

Russians finished 1-2 in the 10-km sitting competition.

Taras Kryjanovski overcame a strong performance by compatriot Sergei Shilov to win the gold medal. Shilov was leading the race with less than four kilometres remaining but couldn't hold off Kryjanovski down the stretch.

Ukrainian Iurii Kostiuk prevented a Russian sweep by taking home the bronze medal.

Jean-Thomas Boily of Orford, Que., placed 24th while Jimmy Pelletier of Val-Belair, Que., finished 28th.

Russian's claim standing and sitting events

Russian Anna Burmistrova quickly skied out in front of her competitiors and never looked back as she won the women's 10-km standing event.

Burmistrova beat silver medallist Yuliya Batenkova of Ukraine by 18.6 seconds while France's Anne Floriet claimed bronze.

Lioubov Vasilieva of Russia won the gold medal in the 10-km visually impaired in 32:40.6. Her teammate Tatiana Ilyuchenko took home the silver and Belarussian Yadviha Skarabahataya claimed the bronze medal.

Competitors in the sitting event use a sled or a sledge that is attached to a pair of skis. Athletes thrust themselves with two poles but are never allowed to use their lower limps for an advantage.
Athletes in the standing classification compete with a limb disability and ski the classical and free technique.