Brazil ended its participation in the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics this Saturday night with an eighth-place finish in the cross-country ski mixed relay event. Four skiers Aline Rocha, Cristian Ribera, Guilherme Rocha and Robelson Lula were involved in the last event with Brazil’s participation.
Each participant completed the 2.5km course and the Brazilian team finished last in 34min10s among the eight finalist nations. The United States won the gold medal, China won the silver, while Canada completed the podium. The competition brought together seated skiers, called sitting skis, with lower limb injuries, and walkers, with upper limb impairment and/or visual impairment.
Brazil was the only team with four seated ski members. However, it was the first time in the country’s three participations in the Winter Games, that the relay involved four skiers.
Robelson Lula was the first to start, but suffered a fall and dropped to fifth in the first half of the race. Later, Cristian Ribera made a 2.5 km run over a five-point finish and handed Aline Rocha with the team in seventh place. Paranance finished his stretch in eighth place, a classification in which Guilherme Rocha also finished the race after suffering a fall.
“I managed to keep the pace strong throughout the course, although I was on the curve. I managed to finish fifth. But, in general, everyone should be congratulated,” said Robelson Lula of Paraiba.
“The snow today was excellent, for me, it was great. It was my best lap in all competitions in the Games. It was great to be able to participate. It was fun for us”, completed Aline Rocha.
This was Brazil’s third participation in the Winter Paralympic Games, with a record delegation. Six athletes made up the mission in Beijing, five from cross-country skiing and one from snowboarding.
Brazil has participated in the Games since Sochi 2014, when the event had two representatives on its national debut. Four years later, in the Korean city of Pyeongchang, the country had three participants.
