Winter Paralympics 2026: Varvara Voronchikhina wins Russia’s first gold since 2014
Para-alpine skier Varvara Voronchikhina won the women’s standing super-G race, earning Russia its first Paralympic gold medal since 2014.
This came two days after the 23-year-old won the standing bronze medal on Saturday to claim her country’s first medal of the Games.
These Games mark the first time the Russian flag has appeared at a Paralympic Games since the Paralympic Games in Sochi 12 years ago. Russia and its athletes were banned following the state-sponsored doping scandal, followed by further sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Voronchikhina and her teammates were able to return to international competition in January after Russia won an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) against the FIS, skiing and snowboarding’s international governing body.
The FIS had initially refused to lift the ban on athletes from Russia and Belarus, although the International Paralympic Committee ended its suspension of both countries in September.
This ban had been in place since the invasion of Ukraine on the eve of the Winter Paralympics four years ago, but was relaxed the following year to allow athletes to compete as neutrals.
Voronchikhina crossed the finish line at the iconic Olimpia delle Tofane track in one minute and 15.6 seconds, almost two seconds faster than French silver medalist Aurelie Richard. Sweden’s Ebba Aarsjoe took bronze.
Voronchikhina said: “This is really special for me because I can see my flag above my friends.
“Maybe I can’t believe it now. Maybe a little later (when I see my gold medal).”
The victory ceremony will take place on Monday, with the playing of the Russian national anthem after all Para-alpine skiing events of the day are over.
While competing at her first Paralympic Games, Voronchikhina is a two-time world champion, including in super-G from 2021, and her chances of medaling at these Games are even higher.
