Cristian Westemaier Ribera made history by winning Brazil's first ever Winter Paralympic medal, securing silver in the Para-cross-country skiing men's seated sprint at Milan-Cortina 2026. The 23-year-old qualifier dominated the race, leading through most of the final before being overtaken in the closing meters by China's Liu Zixu.

Ribera's achievement comes just weeks after Lucas Pinheiro Braathen's gold in the men's giant slalom at the Winter Olympics, marking an unprecedented winter sports breakthrough for Brazil. Born with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, Ribera trains primarily on roller skis due to Brazil's lack of snow. His victory follows a World Championship sprint gold in 2025, establishing him as a medal favorite.

This marks Brazil's eighth Winter Paralympics appearance since Sochi 2014, with Ribera competing in his third Games. His previous best was sixth place in the 15km sitting event at Pyeongchang 2018. The silver medal represents the culmination of years of dedication for Ribera, who once dreamed simply of becoming a Paralympian before setting his sights on winning a medal.