Canadian Paralympic skier Brian McKeever wins sprint gold at IPC World Cup event
VUOKATTI, Finland — Canada’s Brian McKeever won a gold medal in a five-kilometre cross-country ski race Thursday at the first stop in the IPC World Cup circuit.
The 17-time-Paralympic medallist from Canmore, Alta., clocking a time of 11 minutes 4.6 in the visually impaired category.
McKeever welcomed back guide Graham Nishikawa of Whitehorse, who returned from a back injury. McKeever skated without a guide in a silver-medal performance in Wednesday’s distance race.
“Having Nish (Graham Nishikawa) back today was massive,” said the 39-year-old McKeever, who said Wednesday’s he sluggish in the distance race. “We were able to share the work. Once he blew up, he let me go on my own for the final two climbs before leading me into the finish.