Paralympics

Second gold medal for Johannes Aigner!

Johannes Aigner (left)(Bild: GEPA)

Alpine skier Johannes Aigner and guide Nico Haberl have won their second gold medal at the Paralympics in Cortina. The duo prevailed in the visually impaired class on Monday in the super-G on the Tofana ahead of Giacomo Bertagnolli/Andrea Ravelli (ITA/+0.16) and Kalle Eriksson/Sierra Smith (CAN/+1.30 sec.). On Saturday, Aigner, like his sister Veronika Aigner and guide Lilly Sammer, won gold in the downhill. The female racers took silver in the super-G.

The title went to the Italian pair Chiara Mazzel/Nicola Cotti Cottini with a lead of 0.60 seconds, while the Slovakian pair Alexandra Rexova/Sophia Polak (+4.85) took bronze. Elina Stary, competing with guide Stefan Winter, was eliminated after a fall.

  "We know we can do better and just didn't bring that to the slopes today," said Aigner self-critically, despite winning silver. "Today's race wasn't easy; it took a lot of brainpower to ski. And I think I skied with a little too much brainpower. We'll step it up tomorrow. But we'd be really stupid to complain about a silver medal in our first Super-G race together," said the Lower Austrian at the finish. Aigner, who will also compete in the combined event with Sammer on Tuesday, now has a total of four Paralympic medals – three gold and one silver.

Stary suffered a bruised thumb in her fall
Stary suffered minor injuries in her fall. "I fell pretty hard on my head and bruised my thumb, which is a little swollen, but luckily it's nothing serious. I think it looked worse than it really was," said the 19-year-old from Carinthia. "If that hadn't happened at the bottom, I would have won a medal here. But I think I'll have more chances." The next one is in the combined. "We know we're fast. That's perfect for the next few days, of course," Winter added.

On Monday, the Russian anthem will be heard for the first time at the Paralympics in Italy, with Varvara Vorontsikhina winning the women's standing class super-G.