Kim Yun-ji becomes first South Korean woman to win Winter Paralympics gold

SEOUL, March 9 (AJP) - Biathlete Kim Yun-ji on Sunday won gold at the Paralympics, which kicked off last week in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

Kim finished with a time of 38:00.1 in the women's sitting sprint 12.5-kilometer biathlon, narrowly ahead of Germany's Anja Wicker, who crossed the finish line with 38:12.09. Kendall Gretsch of the United States took the bronze with 38:36.1.

With the victory, she became the first South Korean woman to win a gold medal at the Winter Paralympics.

The historic achievement was also South Korea's first Winter Paralympics gold medal in about eight years, since skier Shin Eui-hyun won gold in cross-country skiing at the 2018 Paralympics in the alpine city of Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province.

The para biathlon combines cross-country skiing and shooting over 12.5 kilometers, with the fastest finisher taking gold.
  Later in the day, Lee Je-hyuk won bronze in the men's snowboard cross SB-LL2, marking South Korea's first-ever Paralympic medal in the discipline.

This year's Paralympics run until March 15.

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