Brian McKeever wins 15th career gold medal with victory in Para cross-country sprint
Canmore, Alta., native's Paralympic medal total rises to 19 in legendary career
Canada's Brian McKeever continued adding to his legendary Paralympic resumé on Wednesday, as he won gold in the men's visually impaired sprint cross-country event in China.
The 42-year-old Canmore, Alta., native finished the race with a time of three minutes 19.5 seconds to edge American Jake Adicoff by 0.8 seconds, and Zebastian Modin, of Sweden, who claimed bronze with a time of 3:37.8.
The medal is McKeever's 19th career medal, and 15th gold across six Games, dating back to Salt Lake City 2002.
"This is the race that is hardest for us to win. My least favourite race," McKeever said. "I said yesterday that I think I would rather race a 220-kilometre in Sweden next month than do another sprint, but here we are. It was fun.
"Russ skied that race to perfection and the skis were amazing. That was a big key, just to make sure we had some competitive boards."
WATCH | McKeever adds to medal haul with another gold:
McKeever, who said these will be his final Games, has proven that despite his age he can still find it within himself to pull through when required.
Adicoff had kept ahead of McKeever in the latter part of the race, where it looked as though he had a real chance of winning with the final stretch approaching.
That was until McKeever dug deep and passed by the 26-year-old, showing just how much he had preserved in the tank to secure yet another victory.
"We knew we had to get to the front before the last finishing straight so we could pick the line we wanted," he said. "There's definitely one faster lane there than the rest because of the shadows.
With another remaining opportunity to win gold and a chance to tie Germany's Gerd Schoenfelder for the most titles by a male winter Paralympian (16), McKeever says it isn't anything he pays any mind to.
"I've never thought about any of them, so I will continue to not think about them and just keep going one race at a time and trying to enjoy this," he said.
McKeever will next compete in the men's visually impaired middle distance event, where he'll again have to face a hungry Adicoff, who will be looking to take gold away from the veteran Canadian.
"We want [gold] badly. He's standing right there. I am not sure if he can hear us but we want it badly. We'll be going for it in [the] 12.5km on Saturday," Adicoff said following Wednesday's race.
The next event will take place Friday at 9:00 p.m. ET.
WATCH l While You Were Sleeping — Canada adds trio of medals on Day 5:
