The number of medals now stands at 22 Oksana mastersthe most decorated U.S. winter Paralympian.
Masters won the Para cross-country 10km interval start race on Wednesday for her third gold in four events at the Milan Cortina Games.
She had won the field sprint on Tuesday and the Para-biathlon sprint on Saturday. Masters just missed the podium on Sunday by finishing fourth in the individual Para-biathlon session.
Wednesday’s performance allowed her to equal the three gold medals she won at the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing.
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“I didn’t even think about that, but oh my god!” she said. “The competitor in me wants to keep pushing (to find out) how many golds I can get from one Games. But at the same time, I’m so excited to see the sport grow. Younger athletes are coming, they’re helping me get better, and I’m so excited to share this podium with my teammate (bronze medalist Kendall Gretsch). Hopefully we can continue on the same path again.”
Masters now has eight gold medals at the Winter Paralympics, in addition to her four victories at the Summer Paralympics. Since 2012, she has competed in all Games and won medals in Para-cross-country and Para-biathlon in winter, and Para-cycling and Para-rowing in summer.
She has won seventeen medals at the Winter Games and five at the Summer Games.
“I’m just so proud to bring home another gold for Team USA,” Masters said. “When you’re in line, you do everything you can. I know my team helped me with the skis, the preparation, the nutrition, the sports psychology and everything, and it’s just up to me to go execute, and nothing is taken for granted. I had to fight.”
The 36-year-old Masters triumphed despite a difficult season that included surgery, a bone infection and a concussion.
She was born in Ukraine with birth defects believed to be related to the Chernobyl nuclear accident. She had to go through orphanages in Ukraine at a young age before being adopted by an American mother. She had her left leg amputated at the age of 9 and her right leg at the age of 14.
American Sydney Peterson won the women’s classic standing 10km interval start race to secure her first individual gold medal at the Paralympic Games.
“It’s really cool. I feel like I’ve been second and third a lot, so winning individual gold is great,” she said. “It was pretty exciting. I haven’t won a lot of races yet. Before this season I hadn’t won a race before, so it’s really cool. This season I can come to the start and be healthy, which is great.”
