Visually impaired Nordic skier Robbi Weldon had just skied a strong race to finish fifth in the Paralympic women's 15-kilometre event, and she admitted to having been inspired by other Canadian successes taking place around her.
During the final leg of her three-loop race with guide Brian Berry on Monday (March 15) at Whistler Olympic/Paralympic Park, the athlete from Thunder Bay, Ont., said she thought about what Canadian teammate Brian McKeever had done earlier in the day to become the first Canadian to win Paralympic gold on home soil.
"I just thought on the third lap, 'He was sick today and so was his guide (McKeever's brother and guide) Robin,' so I can't complain," Weldon said of the McKeevers, who had come into Monday's race suffering from colds.
"Then Colette Bourgonje yesterday (March 14) getting a silver was inspiring. She's a legend in our sport."
Germany's Verena Bentele, one of the most decorated Paralympians ever, captured gold with a time of 45 minutes, 11.1 seconds, more than three minutes ahead of second-place Liubov Vasilyeva of Russia. Yadviha Skorabahataya of Belarus captured the bronze.
Weldon, who skied with guide Brian Berry, said she was pleased with her effort.
"It's our longest race of the week and the strategy was to be strong and steady for the first two laps and then pour it on on the third lap," Weldon said. "I felt like I put everything together and had the best race I could today."
Canada's Margarita Gorbounova placed seventh. Canadian Courtney Knight did not start the race.
Bourgonje wins silver
Bourgonje, 48, a grade school teacher from Saskatoon, captured Canada's first medal of the 2010 Paralympic Games Nordic skiing competition, silver, in the women's 10 km sitting event on Sunday at Whistler Olympic/Paralympic Park.
Bourgonje, who had three previous Paralympic bronze medals to her credit, finished 1:06 behind gold-medal winner Liudmila Vauchok of Belarus. Olena Iukovska of Ukraine captured the bronze medal, 1:50 behind Vauchok.
Barber places sixth
Jody Barber of Smithers, B.C., said she worked extremely hard during the women's 15-kilometre standing event on Monday, and it resulted in a solid sixth-place finish.
"My goal going in was to leave it all out on the course and that's what I did," said Barber, who finished six minutes, 32.5 seconds behind gold-medal winner Anna Burmistrova of Russia. Iulia Batenkova of Ukraine finished a close second, just 7.5 seconds behind, while Katarzyna Rogowiec of Poland took the bronze.
