Paralympic champions — on the screens of the National Centre RUSSIA

The National Centre RUSSIA congratulates Paralympic champions Varvara Voronchikhina, Anastasia Bagiyan and Ivan Golubkov, who won gold medals at the 2026 Games in Italy. Their photographs have been displayed on all media screens inside the space as well as on the media facade.

The Russian team travelled to the competition in a limited line-up of just six athletes. By the midpoint of the Games, half of the Russian competitors had already won gold medals.

Alpine skier Varvara Voronchikhina won the first gold medal of the Paralympic Games for the Russian team in the super-G event for athletes with impairments of the musculoskeletal system. Her road to the Games was long and challenging. In 2018 she did not compete in PyeongChang because she was too young. In 2022 she approached the Paralympic Games in Beijing in excellent form — having won two gold medals at the World Championships — but the Russian team was then suspended from the competition just one day before the start.

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

Cross-country skier Anastasia Bagiyan won two more gold medals for the Russian team. She competes in the category for athletes with visual impairment. She lost her sight at the age of fifteen but did not give up and began training in cross-country skiing two years later. On the course she is guided by Sergei Sinyakin.

Another gold medal for the Russian team was won by Ivan Golubkov. The skier took first place in the 10 km race among athletes with impairments of the musculoskeletal system. For Ivan Golubkov, this Paralympic medal became the first of his career. Previously, he attempted to qualify for the Games four times: he did not pass selection for Sochi 2014, while for PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022 he was not allowed to compete.

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

For the first time since 2014, the Russian team is participating in the Paralympic Games with state symbols. At the competition in Italy, the team has been allowed to compete with the national flag and anthem, which is played after athletes’ victories. Earlier, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, sent congratulatory telegrams to Varvara Voronchikhina, Anastasia Bagiyan and Ivan Golubkov.

The National Centre RUSSIA continues to showcase achievements and people who deliver results for the country — scientists, athletes, public figures and many others.