Only five athletes (all in summer sports) have competed in both the Olympics and Paralympics. This year, a Canadian cross-country skier has the chance to become the first winter athlete ever to compete in both the Paralympics and the Olympics. Canadian Brian McKeever won a 50 kilometer race yesterday, putting him one step closer to making the Canadian Olympic team. McKeever has Stargardt's disease, a genetic disease that caused him to start losing his vision at the age of 19. His vision is less than 10%. McKeever already has seven Paralympic medals in cross-country skiing and biathlon. The Canadian Olympic cross-country ski team will be determined in January. Good luck to McKeever!
The International Sled Sport Federation was created in 1913 to promote the sport of Luge. It took 51 years until luge became a Winter Olympic sport in 1964 at the Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria.
In his first NHL season, hockey great Wayne Gretzky scored 51 goals. Gretzky and the Canadian team came in fourth at the 1998 Winter Olympics, where they were expected to have medalled.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Biathlon? BIATHLON???!!!???
ReplyDeleteHow can a guy who's almost totally blind do biathlon? Heart-warming story or not, I certainly wouldn't want to be anywhere near the target area when he's shooting!
McKeever would only be competing in the cross-country skiing at the Olympics, not biathlon. In the Paralympics, visually impaired shooters can hear different tones as they aim their rifles at the targets. That's how they know when to shoot.
ReplyDeleteSara knows everything.
ReplyDeleteSara does know pretty much all things Olympic! However spelling Wayne Gretzky's name wrong can get you thrown into prison in some parts of Canada.
ReplyDeleteMy apologies to Mr. Gretzky and said parts of Canada!
ReplyDelete