Russia wins first Paralympic gold since 2014

Today, March 9, 2026, Para alpine skier Varvara Voronchikhina won Russia's first Winter Paralympic gold medal under its national flag since 2014.

Competing at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics, the 23-year-old secured victory in the women’s super-G standing event at Cortina d’Ampezzo. She finished with a lead of 1.96 seconds over French silver medalist Aurelie Richard.

Key Highlights
National Symbols: This victory marks the first time the Russian national anthem will be played and the national flag raised for a gold medal at the Paralympics since the Sochi 2014 Games.

Athlete Performance: This is Voronchikhina's second medal of these Games; she previously won bronze in the women’s downhill standing event on Saturday, March 7.

Context of Participation: Following years of competing as neutral athletes due to doping sanctions and the conflict in Ukraine, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) granted wildcard entries to a small group of six Russian and four Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags at these Games.

International Reaction: The decision to allow Russian symbols has been controversial, leading to a boycott of the opening ceremony by several nations, including Ukraine, and mixed reactions from spectators during the events.