INTERNATIONAL: There was great success for the Ukraine team in the middle-distance biathlon events at the Beijing Paralympics on Tuesday 8th March.

Iryna Bui claimed gold as the country completed a clean sweep of the podium positions in the women’s 10km standing section, with Oleksandra Kononova taking silver and Liudmyla Liashenko bronze.

It was a similar story in the men’s vision impaired race, with Vitalii Lukianenko claiming gold ahead of his compatriots, silver medallist Anatolii Kovalevskyi and Dmytro Suiarko who took bronze.

There was success also for the United States, who took the top two positions in the women’s sitting section, Kendall Gretsch edging out Oksana Masters for gold, with bronze going to Germany’s Anja Wicker.

China’s Liu Mengtao won the men’s sitting gold, the 20-year-old falling to the ground after crossing the finish line to beat Germany’s Martin Fleig, Ukraine’s Taras Rad took the bronze.

The women’s vision impaired gold went to Germany’s Leonie Maria Walter, with Oksana Shyshkova finishing with silver and Wang Yue of China bronze.