Milano Cortina 2026: Sharp-shooting Cai reaps golden rewards of his persistence

Sometimes when you plant a seed, it bears fruit a little later than expected. Such is the case of the boy from the remote mountains of Yunnan Province.

Jiayun Cai was recruited by the Yunnan Disabled Persons' Federation for the national winter sports program in 2016 with an eye on the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

The Para biathlete was impressive there, pocketing two silver medals and a bronze. 

But at Milano Cortina 2026, he was unstoppable. 

“I've never been a champion in biathlon before, but I won three gold medals here at the Paralympic Games,” Cai said after completing his clean sweep in the standing category.

“It's very important. There are no words to express my happiness and excitement."

And whereas traditional powerhouse Ukraine topped the Para biathlon medals table in Beijing, China stormed ahead at Val di Fiemme in 2026. They clocked up 15 in total: eight golds, five silvers and two bronze.

China’s male Para biathletes were particularly strong, though Yue Wang took two golds in the women’s vision impaired category.

Victory for routines

Ask Cai, now 25, what he has changed over the last four years, and he’s liable to say he’s just been eating, sleeping and training.

“I've just followed my daily routines, the same things again and again every day. I didn't do anything special, I just kept going. Everybody is making the same effort and doing the same things.”

Gold medals are rarely so simple of course. Cai has worked with a psychologist, bridling the sort of quick temper that can hamper a sharp shooter.

He absorbs, and he analyses, which he admits has fed into his success at these Games, where he also came fourth in the Para cross-country skiing sprint classic standing.

“I have learned a lot from my opponents; they are very good athletes,” he said after his third gold, in the sprint pursuit on Friday (13 March).

“I learned a lot in terms of tactics and technique. That's why I was able to be so good today.”

And he has learned on the job at these Games.

“Yesterday I competed against all the athletes here,” he said after his second gold of the past weekend, in the individual standing. “I went back to watch the race, so I got some experience from yesterday's competition.

“During my studying of the video, I prepared some new tactics for today.

“I was well prepared. I had a good rhythm. On the track I had nice shape today. That's why I won another gold medal.”

Catching the bug

Growing up, Cai was used to mountains but not snow. When he first saw pristine snow stretching out before him, Cai said he was “thrilled” and inspired to conquer it. 

Adapting to snowy climes has cost him frostbite and long spells away from his girlfriend and parents.

Cai, who lost his left hand in a childhood accident, said he thought of his parents, miles away in Yunnan, as he crossed the finish for his first gold medal. He was pleased, he said, to have finally lived up to their high expectations.

After Yue Wang won her first gold, later on the same dazzlingly sunny Saturday (7 March), she spoke of how he had inspired her by battling back from a number of injuries.

A perfect record in his first shooting bout had propelled Cai into the lead, and he could not be dislodged, finishing 21.8 seconds clear.

“During the competition I did pretty well and the team kept telling me how much I was leading by,” he said. “I was very confident about winning this gold medal, so I competed like I prepared and just won it.”

The rough with the smooth

In Sunday’s individual standing, he was able to make up for an early shooting error, and again won by a comfortable margin. 

“I decided to go slower at the beginning, and then faster at the end,” he said. “For the shooting range I tried to be stable. Though I missed a shot at the very beginning it didn't affect me, I was still confident about my work on the track. Everything went smoothly.”

But on the final day of Para biathlon, Cai had a harder time completing his golden hat-trick. He needed a sprint finish to overtake silver medallist Grygorii Vovchynskyi of Ukraine to win by 0.2 seconds.

“I'm in very good shape and was planning to be fast at the end,” Cai said. “I just followed my plan and it turns out it worked.

“I actually felt a lot of pressure when I was chasing the other athletes, especially at the final shooting area. When I was shooting there, the others had already finished shooting.

“The only way to win it was just by chasing. I could not think about anything else – I just kept following and kept chasing and doing my best. In the end, I won by a little bit.”

China out of sight

Cai’s first gold was also China’s first of Milano Cortina 2026.

“In this morning's section [the men's sitting event] the Chinese athlete did not win a gold medal, he won silver,” he said. “I felt like it was time for me to win this gold medal for the whole Chinese team.”

Cai need hardly have worried about the Chinese medal tally, which stands at 33 going into the last two days of the Games, 14 ahead of the USA, who sit second in the table.

Cai is trying to play down expectations for his own career, however.

“There will be other good athletes,” he said. “All my opponents and the top athletes in the world will improve themselves and will be better. No one person can be [constantly] successful when everyone is trying their best.”

Where to watch and listen to the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games

Secure your tickets for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games  

Milano Cortina 2026, which takes place from 6-15 March 2026, is set to be the most beautiful Paralympic Winter Games yet. Ticket prices start at EUR 10 for children under 14, with approximately 89 per cent of the tickets available for EUR 35 or less.

For more information, please visit tickets.milanocortina2026.org