Beijing 2022, Day 2: Top stories, moments and records from the Paralympic Winter Games

Athletes from People's Republic of China took the first two medals in Para cross-country skiing on a glorious day for the host nation at the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, while Neil Simpson became Great Britain's first male Winter Paralympics gold medallist.

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Paralympic Games

(2022 Getty Images)

Joy for the hosts as Chinese athletes win four golds

The Para cross-country skiing competition got underway on 6 March, with the sport's first two gold medals going to athletes from People's Republic of China. In all, Chinese athletes won four of the eight golds on offer on what turned out to be a triumphant day for the Winter Paralympics hosts.

Zheng Peng led home a Chinese 1-2 in the men's long-distance sitting event, with Mao Zhongwu picking up the silver medal. The bronze went to Colin Cameron of Canada. In the women's long-distance sitting, Yang Hongqiong beat legendary U.S. summer and winter Paralympian Oksana Masters to the line, with Masters contenting herself with silver and another Chinese athlete, Li Panpan, winning bronze.

In the Para alpine competition, Great Britain picked up their first gold of the Games with Neil Simpson triumphing in the men's super-G vision impaired. Slovakia's 16-year-old Alexandra Rexova beat Britain's most decorated Winter Paralympian Menna Fitzpatrick to gold in the women's super-G vision impaired, while athletes from the host nation added more colour to their burgeoning medal collection with golds for Zhang Mengqiu and Liang Jingyi in the women's and men's super-G standing.

Moment of the day

Brotherly love was on full display in the men's super-G vision impaired competition, as Great Britain's Neil Simpson won his country's third-ever Winter Paralympics gold medal - and first by a male athlete - guided by his brother Andrew.

"I still can't put it into words quite yet," said Neil after the race. "It's been quite a turnover the last couple of years with everything going on. I still can't believe it.

"Andrew was shouting and screaming. I said, 'Yeah, maybe a podium'. It's just that wait. It's such a high - it's almost indescribable."

Older brother and guide Andrew continued: "I know how to get Neil fired up and I know how to keep him calm, and the crucial thing - making sure he's in the right mood to go for it. And he's very good at doing the same for me. We know exactly what each other wants and needs."

Athlete of the day

Slovakia's 16-year-old Alexandra Rexova put in a performance that belied her age to win the Para alpine skiing women's super-G vision impaired title, overcoming the challenges of the reigning Paralympic downhill champion, Henrieta Farkasova, who fell on her run, and Great Britain's most successful Winter Paralympian, Menna Fitzpatrick.

Rexova's time of 1:17.01 was a full 1.78 seconds under that of second-place Fitzpatrick, who now has five Paralympic medals to her name.

What to watch next

It's the moment many of you have been waiting for as the first Para snowboard medals are awarded on Monday 7 March. Four medals are up for grabs in the sport, with all of them in snowboard cross. The Para alpine skiing continues with the rescheduled super combined super-G competitions and six medal events in the super combined slalom categories. There are also more medals on offer in Para cross-country, while wheelchair curling continues apace with round robin session 6.

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All medals of the day

Women’s events

Para alpine skiing - super-G vision impaired

Gold: Alexandra Rexova (Slovakia)
Silver: Menna Fitzpatrick (Great Britain)
Bronze: Zhu Daqing (People's Republic of China)

Para alpine skiing - super-G standing

Gold: Zhang Mengqiu (People's Republic of China)
Silver: Marie Bochet (France)
Bronze: Alana Ramsay (Canada)

Para alpine skiing - super-G sitting

Gold: Muraoka Momoka (Japan)
Silver: Anna-Lena Forster (Germany)
Bronze: Zhang Wenjing (People's Republic of China)

Para cross-country skiing - long distance sitting

Gold: Yang Hongqiong (People's Republic of China)
Silver: Oksana Masters (USA)
Bronze: Li Panpan (People's Republic of China)

Men’s events