Canada wins big in Paralympic Games in Beijing

Canada won six medals Monday at the Paralympic Games in Beijing, bringing the total haul to 12, and making history in snowboarding.

Tyler Turner from Campbell River, B.C. won Canada’s first ever Paralympic gold medal in snowboarding.

“It’s kind of crazy to look back,” he said. “You don’t realize it while you’re in it. But then you look back. Four-and-a-half years later? holy smokes, the progression is unbelievable,” he said. 

Turner’s legs were amputated following a skydiving crash in 2017. He has documented the recovery on his social media, and is also the focus of a new documentary film about his life.

Lisa DeJong of Sherwood Park, Alberta, won silver in the women’s snowboard cross race.

Other medallists Monday include Brian McKeever, who skied to his 14th victory and Natalie Wilkie from Salmon Arm, B.C. who won the women’s 15-kilometre cross-country ski race.

Brittany Hudak from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan won bronze in the women’s 15-kilometre cross-country ski race.

Alpine skier Alana Ramsay won bronze in her event, the super combined. The 27-year-old Calgarian crossed the line in two minutes 6.33 seconds, behind Sweden’s Ebba Aarsjoe in first and China’s Zhang Mengqiu, who won silver.

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Ramsay was fourth after the super-G portion of the combined with a time of 1:18.71 before skiing a 47.62 in the slalom.

Mollie Jepsen from West Vancouver, B.C., did not finish the slalom, while Michaela Gosselin of Collingwood, Ont., failed to complete the super-G.

Ramsay’s third-place finish in the super combined was her second bronze medal in Beijing after finishing third in the standing super-G the day before.

With files from Sportsnet