Day 3: Paralympic Winter Games preview

The first snowboard medals will be awarded on Monday (7 March) following a dramatic qualification session which saw world and Paralympic champion advance to the quarter-finals.

Over at the Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Centre Canadian Brian McKeever will compete in his favourite event as he aims to end a glittering career with another gold in the men’s vision impaired.

Para Cross-Country Skiing 

After the men’s and women’s long distance sitting opened competition on Sunday, today the standing and vision impaired skiers will step onto the track for the first time over the same distance. 

Sunday will be the day that winter sport legend Brian McKeever of Canada will get his final Paralympic campaign underway. The Canadian is hoping to go out with a bang at Beijing 2022 and there is no better event to showcase the incredible athleticism that has won him 13 gold medals than his favourite event.

McKeever will compete in the men’s vision impaired. He is aiming for his fourth consecutive gold in the long distance.

Ukraine's Liudmyla Liashenko grabbed gold in the women’s standing at the recent World Championships, just ahead of Norway's Vilde Nilsen. Wait for the drama to unfold as the duo – alongside other contenders – face-off.

Austria's Carina Edlinger is a double world champion from 2017 and 2019 in the women's vision impaired. Edlinger finished an agonising fourth at PyeongChang 2018 in the long distance and is back for more.

Para Alpine Skiing

Due to a warmer weather forecast, the super-combined has been brought forward by 24 hours.

Showcasing speed and technical prowess in the ultimate test of skill and bravery, the event always delivers a spectacle. 

All eyes will be on the developing rivalry between China's Mengqiu Zhang and France's Marie Bochet in the women's standing. Zhang won super-G gold on Sunday - her first Paralympic gold - relegating Bochet into second. Anticipation of whether Zhang can also perform in technical events to claim another win is high.

Jingyi Liang claimed China's second gold in Para Alpine Skiing in super-G, tearing up the form book in the men's standing. 

In the men’s sitting Italy’s Rene De Silvestro comes off the back of his first world title from January. The Netherlands’ Jeroen Kampschreur did not finish in super-combined at the Worlds but is aiming to retain his Paralympic title in Beijing.

Japan's Momoka Muraoka has been unstoppable at Beijing 2022, winning gold in both the downhill and super-G so far in the women's sitting. As the days go on, Germany's Anna-Lena Forster will be become increasingly determined to unseat Muraoka particularly as the reigning world and defending Paralympic champion.

Austria's Johannes Aigner has so far claimed a medal in every discipline with guide Matthias Fleischmann in the men's vision impaired. This included a bronze in the super-G.

France’s Hyacinthe Deleplace, guided by Maxime Jourdan, has so far finished off the podium but is the world champion in this event. Great Britain's Neil Simpson and guide brother Andrew also hooked it up to claim gold on Sunday and are the Worlds silver medallists.

A similar storm is brewing in the women’s vision impaired. Slovakia’s Henrieta Farkasova and guide Michal Cerven are the gold medallists from PyeongChang 2018 but did not make it to the start line at Lillehammer. Instead Great Britain’s Millie Knight claimed the gold with guide Brett Wild.

Para Snowboard

A series of world and Paralympic champions will compete in the quarter-finals of the Para Snowboard-Cross after qualification on Sunday.

Finland’s Matti Suur-Hamari is the defending title holder in the men’s SB-LL2 as well as the Worlds gold medallist. The USA’s Keith Gabel is the silver medallist from PyeongChang 2018. Both men will race on Monday.

In the men’s SB-LL1, Tyler Turner is on course to claim Canada’s first Para snowboard medal having qualified for the quarter-finals. The world champion could face Paralympic gold medallist Mike Schultz of the USA in the later stages if all goes to plan for both riders.

France’s Maxime Montaggioni arrived in Beijing as the world title holder in the men’s SB-UL and secured himself a quarter-finals place. China’s Li Lija has finished on the World Cup podium previously and has also progressed in the competition.

In the women’s SB-LL2 the Netherlands’ Lisa Bunschoten and Canada’s Lisa Dejong – also in the running to win her country’s first medal – advanced comfortably to Monday’s races.

Wheelchair Curling

Canada's quest to regain their Paralympic title is going well as the side are so far unbeaten in the round-robin.

They will begin the day with a match-up against the USA who have lost two games out of three so far, before taking on Sweden later. 

Defending Paralympic and world champions China have also faced some tough ties, losing out to Canada and World Championships silver medallists Sweden. Their schedule includes South Korea and Switzerland on Monday, two teams who themselves are fighting for a better position in the competition. 

PyeongChang 2018 silver medallists Norway suffered a shock loss to South Korea on Sunday but did triumph in their two other ties. They take on the USA and Estonia.