Brazil celebrated a historic sporting moment as Cristian Westemaier Ribera became the country’s first-ever Winter Paralympic medallist at the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Italy. The 23-year-old para cross-country skier claimed silver in the men’s sprint sitting event, marking a milestone for Brazil in winter sports.
Ribera finished the thrilling final in 2:29.6, just 0.7 seconds behind China’s Liu Zixu, who took gold in 2:28.9. Kazakhstan’s Yerbol Khamitov secured bronze with 2:29.9 in a tightly contested race.
A race that almost brought gold
Ribera dominated the event early on—he was the fastest qualifier and also won his semi-final, entering the final as a strong favourite. During the final race he even led for most of the closing stages, but Liu surged ahead in the final metres to snatch the gold medal.
Despite missing gold by a fraction, Ribera was proud of the historic achievement.
“I wanted the gold, but it was very close. I’m very happy—this is a dream come true,” he said after the race.
From surgeries to the podium
Born with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, a condition affecting joint movement, Ribera underwent more than 20 surgeries during childhood. Doctors encouraged him to take up sports as part of his rehabilitation, and he later discovered para cross-country skiing in 2015.
Competing in his third Paralympics after appearances in PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022, Ribera finally achieved his breakthrough moment in Milan-Cortina.
A landmark for Brazilian winter sport
Ribera’s silver medal not only secured a place in the record books but also marked Brazil’s first podium finish in Winter Paralympics history, proving that athletes from tropical nations can shine on the snow as well.
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