ALMATY — Kazakhstan finished the 14th Winter Paralympic Games in Milan Cortina with two medals, one gold and one bronze, both won by para biathlete and para cross-country skier Yerbol Khamitov, reported the Committee of Sports and Physical Education on March 16.
Photo credit: Committee of Sports and Physical Education.
Khamitov secured a historic gold medal in the 4.5-kilometer pursuit race in para biathlon and later added a bronze medal in the 1,500-meter classic sprint in para cross-country skiing.
Kazakhstan was represented by seven athletes competing in two sports – para biathlon and para cross-country skiing. The national team included Yerbol Khamitov, Alexander Gerlitz, Sergey Usoltsev and Yury Berezin in para biathlon and cross-country skiing, as well as Vladislav Kobal, Anna Grachova and Nurlan Alimov in cross-country skiing.
According to the Head of the Committee for Sports and Physical Culture Marat Kaskyrbayev, the team’s performance reflects the results of systematic support for para sport and coordinated preparation.
“These achievements are the result of comprehensive support from the state and joint work to develop para sport. During the preparation period, athletes were provided with all necessary conditions, including international training camps and the support of a multidisciplinary medical team,” he said.
The team also prepared under the guidance of Roman Petushkov, a multiple Paralympic champion who served as an international consultant for the squad.
Record participation and strong results
The Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics, held from March 6 to 15, brought together more than 600 athletes from 55 countries, competing for 79 sets of medals in para cross-country skiing, para biathlon, para ice hockey, alpine skiing, para snowboard and wheelchair curling.
Kazakhstan’s delegation of seven athletes was the largest in the country’s history at the Winter Paralympics, surpassing the previous record of five athletes set at Beijing 2022.
The team finished 18th in the overall medal standings, with additional strong performances including a top-five finish in the relay and several top-ten placements across events, reported the Kazinform news agency.
First multi-medal paralympian in decades
Khamitov’s two medals also made him Kazakhstan’s first athlete in three decades to win multiple medals at a single Olympic or Paralympic Games.
Previously, only Vladimir Smirnov, who won several medals at the 1994 Winter Olympics, and Sergey Belyayev, a medalist at the 1996 Summer Olympics, achieved this milestone for Kazakhstan.
Khamitov’s success in both biathlon and cross-country skiing highlights the growing strength of Kazakhstan’s Paralympic program.
Building momentum for the future
The 2026 Paralympics also marked the debut of three athletes in Kazakhstan’s seven-member team, offering valuable experience for future competitions.
Officials say the national para ski and biathlon teams benefit from a well-coordinated support staff, including coaches, technicians, medical specialists and psychologists, who have worked together through several Paralympic cycles.
Kazakhstan has now won medals at three consecutive Winter Paralympics – Alexander Kolyadin’s gold in 2018, Alexander Gerlitz’s bronze in 2022, and Khamitov’s gold and bronze in 2026 — reflecting a steadily developing system of athlete preparation and growing international competitiveness.
