Beijing 2022, Day 3: Top stories, moments and records from the Paralympic Winter Games

A snowboard sweep for the People's Republic of China

Day 3 of the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 saw 14 medal events take place, with plenty of action in Alpine skiing, cross-country, and the first medals of the snowboard competition.

There was a podium sweep for hosts People's Republic of China in the men's snowboard cross SB-UL big final, with Ji Lijia winning gold; Wang Pengyao and Zhu Yonggang taking silver and bronze respectively. Earlier in the day, Cecile Hernandez (FRA) won gold in the women's snowboard cross SB-LL2 big final, while Matti Suur-Hamari (FIN) won the men's event. In the men's snowboard cross SB-LL1 big final, reigning world champion Tyler Turner (CAN) won gold.

There was more Canadian success in the cross-country skiing competition as Brian McKeever and Natalie Wilkie triumphed in the long distance vision impaired and long distance standing events respectively.

Great Britain added two more medals to their Beijing 2022 tally as Menna Fitzpatrick and Neil Simpson, who won gold yesterday in the Super-G competition, took the bronze medals in their respective visually impaired super combined events. Super-G silver medallist Giacomo Bertagnolli (ITA) won the men's event, while Henrieta Farkasova (SVK) was the victor in the women's race.

Moment of the day

Twenty-one-year-old Ebba Aarsjoe (SWE) put in an unbelievable performance in the women's super combined standing event to win gold at her first Paralympics in a time of 1:56.51 - a second and a half faster than Zhang Mengqiu (CHN) in silver. Following the race, the Swede had an inspiring message for aspiring athletes around the world.

“I want other girls with disabilities - and boys too, for that matter - to look at me and think: ‘I can do that too’. I want to show them, I’m standing here, do like I did. You get so much stronger and become a better person.”

Athlete of the day

Coming into Monday's snowboard cross SB-LL2 big final Cecile Hernandez had accumulated three Paralympic medals and nine world championship medals (including five golds) in her glittering career. However, Paralympic gold had, to this point, alluded her.

Yet the 47 year old put in a stellar performance at Zhangjiakou Genting Snow Park to finally win that elusive Paralympic gold.

“I am really happy with this gold medal. It has been my dream since I started Paralympic snowboarding," the Frenchwoman told Olympic Information Services.

“It is unbelievable. I still do not realise what happened. To do everything I did to be here and then to earn this gold medal, it was a dream, and now that dream has come true. I am really, really proud.”

What to watch next

There is plenty more action to come at Beijing 2022 tomorrow (Tuesday 8 March), with para biathlon taking centre stage. Six gold medals will be up for grabs in the competition, with events being contested in men's and women's middle distance sitting, middle distance standing, and middle distance vision impaired. There's also a cracking game in the Para ice hockey competition as PyeongChang 2018 silver medallists Canada take on 2018 bronze medallists Republic of Korea, while the wheelchair curling continues with a further 10 matches.

All medals of the day

Women’s events

Para Alpine skiing - Super combined slalom vision impaired

• Gold: Henrieta Farkasova (SVK)
• Silver: Zhu Daqing (CHN)
• Bronze: Menna Fitzpatrick (GBR)

Para Alpine skiing - Super combined slalom standing

• Gold: Ebba Aarsjoe (SWE)
• Silver: Zhang Mengqiu (CHN)
• Bronze: Alana Ramsey (CAN)

Para Alpine skiing - Super combined slalom sitting

• Gold: Anna-Lena Forster (GER)
• Silver: Muraoka Momoka (JPN)
• Bronze: Liu Sitong (CHN)

Para Cross-country skiing - Long distance classical technique standing

• Gold: Natalie Wilkie (CAN)
• Silver: Sydney Peterson (USA)
• Bronze: Brittany Hudak (CAN)

Para Cross-country skiing - Long distance classical technique vision impaired

• Gold: Oksana Shyshkova (UKR)
• Silver: Linn Kazmaier (GER)
• Bronze: Leonie Maria Walter (GER)

Para Snowboard - Cross SB-LL2

• Gold: Cecile Hernandez (FRA)
• Silver: Lisa DeJong (CAN)
• Bronze: Breanna Huckaby (USA)

Men’s events

Para Alpine skiing - Super combined slalom vision impaired

• Gold: Giacomo Bertagnolli (ITA)
• Silver: Johannes Aigner (AUT)
• Bronze: Neil Simpson (GBR)

Para Alpine skiing - Super combined slalom standing

• Gold: Arthur Bauchet (FRA)
• Silver: Santeri Kiiveri (FIN)
• Bronze: Adam Hall (NZL)

Para Alpine skiing - Super combined slalom sitting

• Gold: Jesper Pedersen (NOR)
• Silver: Jeroen Kampschreur (NED)
• Bronze: Niels de Langen (NED)

Para Cross-country skiing - Long distance classical technique standing

• Gold: Kawayoke Taiki (JPN)
• Silver: Cai Jiayun (CHN)
• Bronze: Qiu Mingyang (CHN)

Para Cross-country skiing - Long distance classical technique vision impaired

• Gold: Brian McKeever (CAN)
• Silver: Jake Adicoff (USA)
• Bronze: Zebastian Modin (SWE)

Para Snowboard - Cross SB-UL

• Gold: Ji Lijia (CHN)
• Silver: Wang Pengyao (CHN)
• Bronze: Zhu Yonggang (CHN)

Para Snowboard - Cross SB-LL1

• Gold: Tyler Turner (CAN)
• Silver: Mike Schultz (USA)
• Bronze: Wu Zhongwei (CHN)

Para Snowboard - Cross SB-LL2

• Gold: Matti Suur-Hamari (FIN)
• Silver: Garrett Geros (USA)
• Bronze: Ben Tudhope (AUS)