Farkasova wins first gold of 2022 Winter Paralympics

Slovakia's Henrieta Farkasova (R) and her guide Martin Motyka celebrate after the Alpine Skiing Women's Downhill Vision Impaired event of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games at the National Alpine Skiing Center in Yanqing District, Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

YANQING, Beijing, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Henrieta Farkasova of Slovakia grabbed the first gold medal of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games here on Saturday, bringing her collection of Paralympic golds to ten.

Farkasova clocked a winning time of one minute and 19.50 seconds at the women's downhill vision impaired race, followed by Zhu Daqing of China in 1:21.75. British skier Millie Knight came in third in 1:23.20.

This is the tenth gold Farkasova won at the Winter Paralympics.

"I am very happy, it is my 10th Paralympic gold medal. I had some problems in my knees the last four years, so I am very happy to be here and to be racing," said the 36-year-old racer.

Farkasova had overcome a knee injury she sustained three years ago at the world championships before coming to the Beijing Winter Paralympics.

"I had three operations and it was very hard for me, very painful. But now I am back. I am first and it feels very good," she said.

There were six golds up for grabs at the first day's Alpine skiing downhill races.

The gold of men's downhill vision impaired went to Austrian Johannes Aigner who finished in 1:13.45.

Mollie Jepsen of Canada finished first at women's downhill standing in 1:21.75, while the men's downhill standing gold was won by Arthur Bauchet of France in 1:14.92.

Japanese Momoka Muraoka won the women's downhill sitting gold in 1:29.77. The title of the men's equivalent race was taken by Corey Peters of New Zealand in 1:16.73.