Endurance Queen Parker Surprises In Sprint Classic
Published Wed 11 Mar 2026
Courtesy Australian Paralympic Team
The highs and lows of elite Winter Paralympic competition hit the Australian Nordic team in the cross-country sprint on Tuesday, with two athletes taking a tumble and Lauren Parker missing the semi-finals by one spot.
Matt Brumby had a mishap with his ski pole, while Taryn Dickens’ skis gripped the snow too hard causing her to lose her balance.
But Parker cut a forlorn figure sitting on her chair post-race and looking put over the Tesero Cross-Country Ski course at the Milano Cortina Games reflecting on how close she came to her first Winter Paralympic semi-final.
She was one of 19 starters in the 1,024-metre women’s sprint event (sit skiing category) with only the top 12 qualifying for the semis.
Parker finished 13th in 2min:53.78s with Norway’s Indira Liseth claiming 12th spot (2m:50.75) by just three seconds.
“I was really hoping to make the semis. I really believed that I could, but I missed that one,” Parker said.
“I know I’m not a sprinter but I’m still disappointed.”
Parker has barely five months experience on snow and only two World Cup competitions, since taking up the challenge to try to qualify for her first Winter Paralympics in July last year.
She is synonymous with success in her chosen Summer Paralympic sports of road cycling and triathlon with two gold and two silver medals from Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
But it’s a learning curve on snow for Parker and one she’s determined to keep working at.
“My warm-up didn’t go to plan … they told me to get on late but then they cut the time short. So, I was only able to do one lap of the course when I wanted to do two or three,” she said.
“The course wasn’t soft – quite hard, all the tracks and everything. Then the sections with no tracks there I struggled with because you just slide. With my high level of (spinal) injury I can’t slow myself down as I want to.”
Brumby was trying to increase his speed by digging his poles in as hard as he could in the men’s sit skiing sprint.
“I was checking to get into a classic track and I just lost my pole, fell over,” he said. “I knew when I hit the ground that was it. Getting up took longer than I wanted and although I finished, I lost too much time.” Brumby finished 37th from a field of 37.
“You really have one job – that’s to not fall over especially on a sprint.
“I put a lot of weight on the (pole) strap, it wasn’t tight enough and the Velcro came loose and I dropped the pole. I should have used a new set of straps today but you don’t think the strap is going to come undone,” he said.
“It’s hard to take as I was really looking forward to this one-kilometre race.”
Dickens’ women’s vision impaired sprint was slightly longer at 1,139m but equally disappointing when she also took a fall. She finished 12th but only the top-eight progressed.
“Unfortunately, my limited experience on snow doesn’t help me in these shorter events, especially classic (style) skiing,” she said.
“My technique needs a little more work.”
Sighted guide Lynn Maree Cullen interjected, herself a competitor at several Biathlon World Championships for able-bodied skiers.
“But also, the terrain was a bit tricky,” Cullen said. “In places there was too much grip and if you’re not prepared for it – and haven’t that experience – then it’s very easy to topple over and fall.
“One section goes over a slight rise with no tracks and it’s just enough to grip your ski – you keep going because you’ve got forward momentum, but the skis have stopped.”
Dickens added: “I did get up and finish but my eyesight is hard in these conditions because I don’t see the contours, the small bumps.
“So the sticky glue-tar like substance they put under the skis just grab.
“But it’s still fun. That’s three events down … the Games are going so quickly,” Dickens said.
“I’m just so proud to be here. Even the volunteers know my name from last year (test event). It’s just so good to have Australia here.”
Australia is making a return to Paralympic Nordic skiing for the first time since the 2010 Vancouver Games, where James Millar and Dominic Monypenny competed.
But there are four athletes here at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games and Dave Miln remained upright in his men’s sprint (sit skiing) race on Tuesday to finish 28th in the field of 37.
“Sprint is not my distance but it’s a good fun race, and it’s quick – gets the adrenalin going,” Miln said.
“I much prefer the longer courses so I’m looking forward to the 10k tomorrow (Wednesday).”
All four athletes and guide Cullen will be competing in the 10km cross-country event at the Tesero course in northern Italy.
That will be followed by the biathlon sprint pursuit on Friday and the 20km cross-country on Sunday to finish the Games’ Nordic program.
