Russia’s Irek Zaripov won six medals at the 2011 IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships in Khanty Mansiysk, Russia. He won gold in the 10km Cross-Country and the 7.5km and 12.5km Biathlon. He also picked up silver medals in the men’s 3km Biathlon Pursuit and 15km Cross-Country, as well as a bronze in the 0.9km Cross-Country Sprint. The 28-year-old only started skiing competitively in 2005, when he parents persuaded him to take up sport.
He had lost both legs when he was involved in a motor cycle accident when he was just 17. At the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, Zaripov wowed the crowds with four gold medals and a silver.
