Yerbol Khamitov won gold in the men's 4.5km sprint pursuit sitting biathlon at the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan, finishing in 9:39.0 with one miss at the second shooting stage. The 28-year-old from Kazakhstan had his leg amputated after being shot in the knee at age 19. He is the first Kazakhstani athlete to win gold at both Summer and Winter Paralympic Games.

The gold medal was Kazakhstan's first-ever in para biathlon and the country's first Winter Paralympic gold since 2018. Khamitov also won bronze in the men's 1.5km sitting para cross-country skiing sprint at Milan 2026. Ukraine's Taras Rad took silver in the biathlon. China's Liu Zixu took bronze.

From Martial Arts to the Top of Para Sport

Khamitov competed in martial arts before his injury. He continued after the amputation and made his Paralympic debut at Beijing 2022, where he served as Kazakhstan's flag bearer at the opening ceremony.

At the 2023 World Para Nordic Skiing Championships, he won gold in sprint sitting cross-country skiing and bronze in two para biathlon sprint events at 7.5km and 12.5km. In 2025, he became the first Kazakhstani para biathlon world champion after winning gold in the 12.5km individual sitting event. He also won the overall Crystal Globe at the 2025 Para Biathlon World Cup, the first Kazakhstani athlete to accomplish this.

Khamitov was ranked as the world's top para biathlete going into Milan.

Recognition from Kazakhstan

President Tokayev awarded Khamitov the Barys Order, III Degree. The Minister of Sports awarded him Honored Master of Sports of Kazakhstan. Sponsors gave him a 2-room apartment in Astana.

Kazakhstan sent 7 athletes to Milan, the largest Winter Paralympic delegation in the country's history. Khamitov's two medals accounted for both of Kazakhstan's medals at the Games.

What He Said About Disability and Sport

"I would like to encourage everyone who is currently in this situation, whether they've lost an arm or a leg, are visually impaired, or were born that way, to come and play sports with us," Khamitov said in an interview with Kazakhstani media after his gold medal win.

Khamitov comes from a modest background and has experienced hardship, according to multiple Kazakhstani news sources covering his Paralympic success.

What This Means for Adaptive Sports Families

Khamitov's trajectory shows that adaptive sports create pathways to elite competition for people who acquire disabilities as adults, not just lifelong athletes. He went from a traumatic injury at 19 to the top of the podium at the world's biggest stage in under a decade.

His story also illustrates the range of adaptive winter sports available to athletes with limb differences. Para biathlon combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting. Para cross-country skiing has sprint and distance events across sitting, standing, and vision impaired categories.

For families with children who have recently acquired disabilities or are exploring adaptive sports options, para Nordic sports like biathlon and cross-country skiing have established competitive pathways in the U.S. and internationally. Programs exist at the grassroots level through organizations like Disabled Sports USA and the U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing program.

Where to Find Adaptive Sports Programs

If you're looking for adaptive winter sports programs in your area, check our directory of adaptive sports providers and therapeutic recreation programs.

You can also search for para biathlon and para Nordic skiing programs through U.S. Paralympics and Disabled Sports USA.