Skier Ivan Golubkov triumphed in the 10 km sitting event, adding to the teams growing medal tally in Italy

Russian crosscountry skier Ivan Golubkov claimed gold in the 10 km sitting event at the 2026 Paralympics in Italy on Wednesday, securing the third toppodium finish for the Russian team at the Games.

This year's event marks the first Paralympics in over a decade where Russian athletes have been allowed to compete under their national flag following years of restrictions and bans from international sporting competitions.

Golubkov, competing in the sitting class for athletes with impairments affecting their lower limbs and trunk, covered the distance in 24 minutes 5.8 seconds. China's Mao Zhongwu took silver, finishing 16.3 seconds behind, while his compatriot Zheng Peng claimed bronze, a further 2.4 seconds back.

The 30yearold Golubkov is a ninetime winner of the World Cup and a sixtime world champion, though this marks his first Paralympic gold medal. According to Russian media, Golubkov spent his early years in a residential care facility before discovering sport and embarking on his path to international success.

Golubkov's gold is Russia's third at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games. Alpine skier Varvara Voronchikhina won the women's SuperG on Monday, marking Russia's first Winter Paralympic gold since 2014, and followed it with bronze in the downhill. Skier Anastasia Bagiyan added gold in the women's sprint event on Tuesday, while Aleksey Bugaev secured bronze in the men's downhill standing event. Russia now holds five medals in total - three gold and two bronze.

The Russian Paralympic team was cleared to compete earlier this year after Moscow won an appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the International Ski and Snowboard Federation. The body had barred athletes from Russia and Belarus despite the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) fully reinstating athletes from both nations last year.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games opened on March 6 and are scheduled to run through March 15, with six Russian athletes competing across alpine skiing, crosscountry skiing, and snowboarding events.

(RT.com)