Cristian Ribera facts for kids
 |
||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality |  Brazil |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 13 November 2002 Cerejeiras, Rondônia, Brazil |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Para cross-country skiing | |||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Cristian Westemaier Ribera (born on November 13, 2002) is a talented Brazilian para cross-country skier. He made history for his country. Cristian won a silver medal at the 2021 World Para Snow Sports Championships. This was in the men's sprint sitting event.
He also earned a silver medal at the 2026 Winter Paralympics. This achievement was in the men's sprint sitting event. Cristian became the very first Brazilian to win any medal at the Winter Paralympics.
Contents
About Cristian Ribera
Cristian was born with a condition called arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. This condition means some of his joints are bent and stiff. To help with this, he had many surgeries on his legs. He had 21 operations to improve his movement.
Cristian started playing sports when he was just four years old. He began para cross-country skiing in 2015. This sport involves skiing across different terrains. It is adapted for athletes with disabilities.
Early Career and First Paralympics
Cristian Ribera started competing internationally in 2017–18. He joined the World Cup series that season. He finished seventh in the sitting athletes' class. This was a great start for him.
He then competed in the 2018 Winter Paralympics. He was only 15 years old at these games. This made him the youngest participant there. Cristian finished sixth in the 15 km event. He also placed ninth in the 7.5 km event. In the sprint event, he came in 15th place. He also took part in the mixed relay. Brazil's team finished 13th in that race.
World Cup Success and Championships
Cristian continued to improve in the World Cup series. In 2018–19, he finished 13th overall. The next season, 2019–20, was even better. He came in second place in the World Cup standings. Only Ivan Golubkov beat him that year. In the 2020–21 season, he finished 13th again.
In 2021, Cristian competed at the 2021 World Para Snow Sports Championships. These championships were held in Lillehammer. He won a silver medal there in the sprint event. This was a big achievement for him. He also finished sixth in the 18 km event. In the 10 km event, he placed eighth.
Making History at the 2026 Winter Paralympics
Cristian Ribera achieved something truly special at the 2026 Winter Paralympics. He won a silver medal in the men's sprint sitting event. This made him the first Brazilian ever to win a medal at the Winter Paralympics. It was a historic moment for Brazil.
In the final race, Cristian led for much of the event. However, China's Zixu Liu passed him in the final moments. Liu won the gold medal with a time of 2:28.9. Cristian finished very closely behind with 2:29.6. Kazakhstan's Yerbol Khamitov took the bronze medal. His time was 2:29.9. It was a very exciting and close finish!
