Oksana Masters ties U.S. record for most Winter Paralympic medals

Oksana Masters won her sixth medal in six biathlon or cross-country skiing events at the Paralympics this week, tying the U.S. record for most career Winter Paralympic medals.

Masters, a 32-year-old born in Ukraine, took silver in her last individual event of the Games, 37.2 seconds behind China’s Yang Hongqiong in a 7.5km cross-country race. It marked the lone U.S. medal on the penultimate day of competition in China.

Masters earned her 13th Winter Paralympic medal between biathlon and cross-country skiing over the last three Games. She tied Alpine skiers Sarah Billmeier and Sarah Will for the U.S. Winter Paralympic medals record. She also tied the U.S. record for most Winter Paralympic medals at a single Games, set by fellow Nordic skier Dan Cnossen in 2018.

Masters could break both records if she is put on a relay on Sunday.

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The Paralympics have six sports. Three of them have more than two medal events on the current program — Alpine skiing, biathlon and cross-country skiing.

Also Saturday, Canadian Brian McKeever won his 16th gold medal in cross-country skiing, tying the men’s record for Winter Paralympic titles held by German Gerd Schönfelder, an Alpine skier who competed in six Winter Games from 1992-2010.

McKeever, 42, has won all 12 of his individual Paralympic cross-country races over the last four Games. He has said he plans to retire after these his sixth Games.

“I think if we end up back here trying to race in four years, we’ll be coming in on canes,” he joked. “We’ll probably be back, but I’m sure in more coaching and waxing roles.”

The Paralympics close on Sunday, highlighted by a U.S.-Canada matchup in the sled hockey final. The