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Mar 5, 2022 - Sports

Oksana Masters wins 1st gold for U.S. at Paralympic Winter Games

Dorian Geiger
Oksana Masters of Team USA during a Official Training Session at Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Centre on March 03, 2022 in Beijing, China.

Oksana Masters of Team USA during a Official Training Session at Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Centre on March 03, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Oksana Masters became the first American athlete to win a gold medal at the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing on Friday.

Why it matters: Masters claimed her fifth career Paralympic gold medal, propelling Team USA to the podium in the sitting biathlon sprint.

  • The 32-year-old, who is competing in her sixth Paralympics, was born in Ukraine with a number of radiation-induced defects following 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
  • Masters also competed in Tokyo's 2020 Summer Paralympic Games where she claimed two gold medals in cycling.
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