Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Biathlete Grygorii Vovchynskyi put in a superb display to win Ukraine’s first gold medal of the Winter Paralympics in Beijing.
Vovchynskyi, 33, triumphed in the men’s sprint standing event at the Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Centre.
The Ukraine team travelled to China despite the Russian invasion of their country, which began on 24 February.
“It was difficult for me when the war began. I cried every day,” Vovchynskyi said.
“I didn’t understand what happened.
“What can I do? I can dedicate this race to Ukraine, for peace [for the] people in Ukraine.
“Please stop war, it’s very important for our children.”
Vovchynskyi, who won gold in the long distance event in Sochi in 2014, beat Germany’s Marco Maier by 45.8 seconds to win his event.
He said: “I was thinking before the race, I must try to do everything for Ukraine. I must think about war, about my country, about my people, about my president. I love Ukraine.
“I love sport, but today I ran because I want life in Ukraine to move to the future.”
There were also silvers for Vovchynskyi’s Ukraine team-mates Liudmyla Liashenko and Taras Rad.
Liashenko, 28, won her fifth Games medal in the women’s sprint standing where China’s Guo Yujie, 17, emerged victorious.
It was a second Paralympic medal for Rad, 23, following his middle distance gold from Pyeongchang, after he finished 17.5secs adrift of China’s Liu Zixu in the men’s sprint seated event.
Before the Games, Valeriy Sushkevych, the Ukrainian Paralympic chief, said his team’s presence at the Games was a “symbol that Ukraine is alive” and that it was a “miracle” they made it to the competition.
They were warmly welcomed into the Bird’s Nest Stadium for Friday’s opening ceremony.
The Russian Paralympic Committee and Belarus were banned from competing.