Oksana Shyshkova

It will be no easy task for Oksana Shyshkova to defend her two biathlon and one cross-country world titles at Prince George 2019.

However, the Ukrainian seems ready to do so after delivering good performances in the 2018-19 World Cup circuit, securing three wins overall in the women’s vision impaired.

Shyshkova had already proven to be highly-competitive at PyeongChang 2018, where she won her first Winter Paralympic titles.

The Nordic skier, guided by Vitaliy Kazakov, won gold in the biathlon middle distance and cross-country mixed relay. She then went on to claim three silvers and one bronze. Shyshkova also ended second in the biathlon World Cup overall rankings and third in the cross-country.

Her breakthrough season was 2016-17 as she claimed her maiden world titles at Finsterau 2017 and also ended top of the biathlon World Cup overall rankings, as well as second in cross-country.

She won the women’s biathlon sprint and long distance, and the cross-country middle distance races at the 2017 World Championships. She followed that up with silver in the biathlon middle distance; and cross-country sprint and long distance.

Shyshkova began her active life in a circus school and toured Germany as part of a choir when she was a youngster. She has always been into sports too, playing football and practising athletics before her former coach suggested she try Nordic skiing.

She was 17 when she first skied on the trails of Ukraine. Only six years later, she would stand on the podium at Sochi 2014 four times across biathlon and cross-country events, all of them bronze medals.