Belarus at 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang

The 12th Winter Paralympics are taking place in PyeongChang, South Korea on 9-18 March. About 700 athletes representing 48 teams are competing in 80 medals events in six sports.

Belarus has fielded 15 athletes (including six debutants) at the 2018 Paralympics. Belarusian Paralympians are competing in biathlon and cross-country skiing.

Biathlon

Women: Lidiya Grafeyeva, Svetlana Sakhonenko

Men: Vasily Shapteboi, Dmitry Loban, Yevgeny Lukyanenko, Yuri Golub

Cross-country skiing

Women: Yadviga Skorobogataya, Liudmila Vauchok, Valentina Shits, Svetlana Sakhonenko, Lidiya Grafeyeva, Darya Fedkovich, Larisa Vorona

Men: Yevgeny Lukyanenko, Dmitry Loban, Vadim Lipinsky, Arkady Shikut, Nikita Ladesov, Yuri Golub

Many-time Olympic and world champion and medalist Liudmila Vauchok was Belarus’ flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Paralympics on 9 March.

The captain of the team is the prominent Paralympian Dmitry Loban.

The chief of the Belarusian mission at the 2018 Paralympic Games in PyeongChang is Nikolai Shudeiko, the General Secretary of the Belarusian Paralympics Committee.

Belarus’ 2018 Paralympics medal haul

The 2018 Winter Paralympics became the most successful for Team Belarus which picked up 12 medals (4 gold, 4 silver, 4 bronze) and took eighth place in the overall standings.

Svetlana Sakhonenko (guide Roman Yashchenko) was the most decorated Paralympian in the Belarusian team with three gold medals (Women’s 15km Free, 1.5km Sprint Classic, and 7.5km Classic, Visually Impaired) and a biathlon bronze in a 6km race.

Yuri Golub (guide Dmitry Budilovich) also won four medals. He was second to none in the Men’s 12,5km biathlon event, clinched two silver medals (7.5km Sprint and 20km, Visually Impaired), and took third place in 10km Classic, Visually Impaired.

One of the most experienced Belarusian Paralympians, captain Dimtry Loban clinched two silver medals (Men's 7.5km Sprint, Sitting and 1.1km Sprint, Sitting).

Lidiya Grafeyeva bagged two bronze medals (Women's 6km and 12.5km, Sitting).