Paralympic wake-up call: McKeever races to 16th career gold, Wilkie returns to podium | CBC Sports

And he did it in style, posting a time of 33 minutes 6.6 seconds to finish 52.5 seconds ahead of silver medallist Zebastian Modin of Sweden.

Since the Salt Lake City Games in 2002, McKeever has captured 20 medals — becoming Canada’s most decorated Winter Paralympian.

Now, the Canmore, Alta., native is also the male athlete with the most titles in Paralympic Games history, tied with German Para alpine skier Gerd Schoenfelder, who last competed in Vancouver 2010.

WATCH l McKeever captures 16th career gold to wrap up historic Paralympic career:

Brian McKeever claims gold in last solo Paralympic race

Cross-country skier Brian McKeever from Canmore, Alta., wins his 16th Paralympic gold medal and 20th overall with a victory in the men’s visually impaired middle-distance cross-country event. 3:56

On Sunday at 10:55 p.m ET, McKeever has the opportunity to steer clear of Schoenfelder in the open 4×2.5-kilometre Para cross-country skiing team relay race.

“After 20 years of doing this, it’s an honour to be a part of the Paralympics,” McKeever said, when asked about the possibility in a post-event interview.

In Beijing, McKeever has also won gold medals in the men’s visually impaired sprint race and middle distance Para cross-country events.

His latest title was Canada’s eighth gold medal in Beijing. Canadian athletes have also earned five silver and 10 bronze for a total of 23, putting the country in third in the medal table behind China (58 overall) and Ukraine (28 overall).

Read more about McKeever’s 16th Paralympic title.

Here’s more of what you missed on Friday night and Saturday morning in the Beijing Paralympics:

Wilkie grabs silver for 3rd medal in Beijing

Natalie Wilkie was the other Canadian athlete to make it to the podium on Day 8.

The Salmon Arm, B.C., native overcame a fall in the final part of the women’s standing 10km cross-country race to earn silver with a time of 41:45.3 seconds.

Fellow Canadians Brittany Hudak and Emily Young finished seventh and 11th, respectively. Ukraine’s Oleksandra Kononova won the event, capturing her first Paralympic gold medal in the sport since Vancouver 2010.

Wilkie, a 21-year-old two-time Paralympian, now has three medals in each of the Games she competed in.

At PyeongChang 2018, she captured a full set with a medal of each colour. In Beijing, Wilkie previously won the women’s standing 15km and the 1.5km sprint events for her second and third career gold medals.

Read more about Wilkie’s third medal in Beijing.

WATCH l Wilkie wins Para cross-country skiing silver medal:

Natalie Wilkie captures her 3rd medal of the Beijing Paralympics

Natalie Wilkie of Salmon Arm, B.C., wins silver in the women’s standing 10-kilometre cross-country event for her 3rd medal at Beijing 2022. 2:43

Just missed the podium

Two athletes almost made it a 3-medal night for Canada.

Bracebridge, Ont., native Collin Cameron, 33, crossed the line fourth in the men’s sitting 10km cross-country event, 5.3 seconds behind bronze medallist Giuseppe Romele of Italy.

In the women’s Para alpine standing slalom race, 21-year-old Michaela Gosselin, of Collingwood, Ont., also came fourth, 6.37 shy of a podium finish.

China defends wheelchair curling title

China is the back-to-back Paralympic wheelchair curling champion.

The home curlers downed Sweden 8-3 to defend their PyeongChang 2018 gold medal a day after ousting eventual bronze medallists Canada in the semifinals.

The Chinese squad started the tournament on a low, suffering losses to Canada and Sweden before turning amassing 10 consecutive wins — including playoff victories over the same teams that were able to edge them in round robin play.

Read more about China’s victory over Sweden for the wheelchair curling gold medal.

WATCH l China downs Sweden in wheelchair curling gold-medal match:

China defends its Paralympic wheelchair curling gold medal with win over Sweden

After picking up four points in the fifth end, China wouldn’t look back and dealt the crushing blow in the seventh. 0:55

Good boy

Carina Edlinger of Austria knew exactly who to celebrate with after claiming her first Paralympic gold medal.

The 23-year-old two-time Paralympian won the women’s visually impaired Para cross-country skiing sprint race on Day 8, sharing a moment with her guide dog, Riley, after topping the podium.

Edlinger won two bronze medals at PyeongChang 2018.

Here’s a quick look at other Day 8 events in Beijing: