Team USA's Oksana Masters wins 11th Paralympic gold medal

Oksana Masters' 11th Paralympic golden medal was "redemption" for the most decorated American Winter Paralympian.

And it was wide conscionable however overmuch it meant to her.

Masters screamed loudly respective times successful delight aft winning the women's sprint sitting subject successful Para cross-country skiing connected Tuesday astatine Milan Cortina successful Italy.

She finished 2nd successful the lawsuit 4 years ago.

"It was conscionable specified a alleviation and redemption from Beijing. It was the 1 that got away. I emotion sprints and I hatred sprints due to the fact that there's truthful overmuch stress," Masters said.

"I conflict with believing successful myself and that was a large thing. The squad believed successful me, truthful I wanted to amusement up for my team."

Oksana Masters of Team USA celebrates aft winning golden successful the Para cross-country skiing sprint sitting last astatine the Paralympics, March 10, 2026, successful Val di Fiemme, Italy. Marco Mantovani/Getty Images

Masters was 40 meters down person Yunji Kim astatine the commencement of the last incline but powered up the ascent to overtake her rival arsenic they crested the summit.

"I hatred chasing. I would alternatively beryllium chased, but I bash recognize that I bash good with chasing and reeling radical in, 1 by one, staying creaseless and relaxed," Masters added.

It was a 2nd golden medal astatine Milan Cortina for Masters, who won the women's sprint sitting subject successful Para biathlon connected Saturday. The 36-year-old was coming disconnected a hard play that included surgery, a bony corruption and a concussion.

"I consciousness perfectly connected apical of the satellite close now, conscionable successful implicit shock, and so, truthful happy," she added.

Oksana Masters of Team USA celebrates during the medal ceremonial for the Para cross-country skiing women's sprint sitting astatine the Paralympics, March 10, 2026, successful Val di Fiemme, Italy. Luke Hales/Getty Images for IPC

Masters present has 7 Winter Paralympic golden medals to spell on with her 4 victories astatine the Summer Paralympics. She has competed successful each Paralympics since 2012, earning medals successful Para cross-country and Para biathlon successful the wintertime and Para cycling and Para rowing successful the summer.

Her full medal haul stands astatine 21 — 16 successful the Winter Games and 5 successful the Summer Games.

Masters was calved successful Ukraine with commencement defects believed to beryllium related to the Chernobyl atomic accident. She had to spell done orphanages astatine an aboriginal property successful Ukraine earlier being adopted.

Gay Masters, a prof astatine the University of Louisville, adopted her erstwhile she was 7 years aged and raised her arsenic a azygous parent, according to Team USA.

She had her near limb amputated astatine property 9, and her close limb amputated astatine property 14.

According to Team USA, Masters won the Laureus World sportsperson of the twelvemonth with a disablement grant successful 2020 and was the archetypal Para jock to gain a information successful the champion jock class for women's sports astatine the ESPYs.

In:

• Paralympics