On Monday 15th March, 2010, Brian McKeever, a Canadian cross country skier won Paralympic gold in the 20-km race. Brian McKeever is a Canadian cross-country skier and biathlete who was born on 18th June, 1979 in Calgary, Alberta. Due to the Stargardt's disease, he began losing his eye-sight at the age of 19. At the age of three, he started skiing and began competing at the age of 13. Now, Brian McKeever is lawfully blind but with the help of his brother, Robin, he knew accurately where he was going when he set out on a 20-kilometre race.
With guide of older brother, Robin, McKeever skier/biathlete completed the journey of the Paralympic cross country from Canmore, Alta., in a time of 51 minutes, 14.79 seconds and won gold medal on Monday morning at Whistler Olympic Park in the men's 20-km freestyle visually-impaired cross country race. Brian McKeever said, ‘That was a lot of fun. It meant a lot. That was the one we were waiting to win and that's the one we really wanted.’
The McKeever brothers’ powerful, unflagging strides seem perfectly synchronized, who said that they did not mind that the throng unnoticed organizers' requests to wave their hands silently instead of cheering. Brian said, "It wasn't a quiet stadium when we rolled through... [But] it doesn't matter if it's quiet or loud. I just follow Robin.” For the first time, these brothers won the hard 20 k race. Brian McKeever said, "It's been eight years in the making." He also said that the race was very tiring.
With each guide, the racers begin at 30-second intervals, just a little steps in facade. In this race, The racers started at 30-second intervals, each with a guide just a few strides in front. The rate was given according to the degree of their visual impairment. Robin said ‘[I] was hurting’," You know with the percentage system being the way it is you're never sure if you are going to get it until it's all over, and so you've got to push right through. It was definitely hard, but we had a good plan. We stuck to our pace … and it made the difference today."
Brian McKeever said, ‘This certainly makes it a lot easier,’ and also added ‘We're never going to forget what happened, but this helps us to move on and, you know, we've got more racing yet to go, so there's still things to look ahead to’. The decisive win sets them up for three more races to come this week, said by Robin. He added, "You feel quite confident to go into the next classic race; the 10 k. Brian is much stronger in classic than I am, so I think the issue will be the guiding there. We're just looking forward to that 10 k, for sure. From there the biathlon is, you know, its hit and miss, and [then] we'll see about the sprinting."
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