WHISTLER, B.C. — Make it three medals for Canada at the Paralympic Games.
Colette Bourgonje captured Canada’s first medal on Sunday, then Viviane Forest and Josh Dueck added to country’s medal haul shortly after.
Bourgonje, from Saskatoon, won silver in the women’s 10-kilometre sit-ski cross-country, finishing the race in 31 minutes 49.8 seconds to become the first Canadian to win a Paralympic medal on home turf.
“Wow, I’m shocked and I can’t believe it,” said the 48-year-old Paralympian. “Age is nothing, attitude is everything and I lived by that today.”
The only Canadian athlete to have competed in all five Paralympic Winter Games to go along with four Summer Paralympics, Bourgonje was on pace to win gold before crashing on the second of three laps.
“I am still racing because I wanted to compete at a Paralympics in Canada and I’m just so proud to have done this in front of all Canadians,” she said. “I share this medal with the entire country.”
Liudmila Vauchok of Belarus won in 30:52.9 while Olena Iurkovska of Ukraine was third in 32:43.5.
Forest, from Edmonton, won silver in the women’s slalom for the visually impaired. She and her guide Lindsay Debou of Whistler, B.C., finished in 2:01.45. Austria’s Sabine Gasteiger won the race in 2:00.56.
Forest, 30, winced in pain after the race from a groin she pulled in training two weeks ago. The hurt didn’t diminish the joy she felt over winning her first Winter Paralympic medal.
“I have a leg that is pretty sore so I tried to manage my energy and not bounce too much around,” said Forest, who also won gold medals in goalball at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Paralympics.
“I tried not to focus on the pain and just make my way down. I was afraid of the last section. I had no gas, I was in so much pain. I was afraid to miss a gate and not finish. But it did go well. That’s what matters.”
Australia’s Jessica Gallagher and guide Eric Bickerton were third in 2:04.35.
Josh Dueck of Vernon, B.C., won a silver medal in men’s slalom sit-ski. Dueck was fourth after the first run but battled back in the second for a time of 1:46.29. Germany’s Martin Braxenthaler won in 1:41.63.
Dueck’s second run left him sitting second with three skiers to go. Austria’s Philipp Bonadimann was next but his time of 1:46.34 left him third.
The last skier down the hill was Jurgen Egle, but when the Austrian fell, the silver belonged to Dueck.
“I feel pretty lucky to be in this position, no doubt,” said Dueck.
“If you see some of the footage of that run I barely held on. I was just super happy to cross the finish line.”