The team were pipped at the top of the medals table by Germany, who are now top by virtue of having won 12 gold to Russia's 11, but they easily won more medals overall than any other country.

The two victories today - in the men and women's cross-country relays - took their total of medals to 30, seven more than Germany and more than double won by the United States, who claimed 13, four of them gold.

The performance is in sharp contrast to the Olympics last month when the Russian team finished 11th with 15 medals, only three of them gold, their worst performance since they made their debut at Lillehammer in 1994 following the break-up of the Soviet Union.

Vladimir Lukin, president of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC), was understandably delighted.

He said: “You must understand that we are not comparing ourselves with the regular Olympic team, but that won't stop me from taking a jab at them because we won as many gold medals in just one day of the Paralympics as they won in two weeks.

"These persons [Paralympians] deserve the respect from our entire country.

"I'm proud that we have succeeded."



The Russian medallists here are on the same bonus structure as the Olympic team, which means that the Government will award
€100,000 (£90,000/$135,000) to gold medalists, €60,000 (£54,000/$90,000)  for silver and €40,000 (£36,000/£60,000) for bronze.

The prize money was increased fivefold after the Paralympic Games in Turin in 2006 when the Russian team won 13 golds, 13 silvers and seven bronzes, its best-ever result in the Winter Games.

Oleg Smolin, the vice-president of the RPC and a State Duma Deputy, said that had been a powerful incentive for the team.

He said: "People with disabilities [in Russia] are not used to state attention, so they are very responsive when they get it."

Lukin said: "They have to overcome so many difficulties and sufferings and circumstances that are not understood by healthy people.

"That's why I admire them.

"Many of them from childhood are in these horrific conditions.

"Not everywhere in Russia have ideal conditions for their development.

"It gives the opportunity for many, many people in our country and the former Soviet area to know what is possible for people in different conditions.

"For every sportsman the most important thing they want is to win.

"But for me and the people trying to help them, it's to demonstrate that everything which seems impossible is possible."

Today's relay were the only event of the Games in which athletes or different abilities compete in the same field.

Each team was comprised of one standing skier, one sit-skier and one visually impaired athlete and guide.

Russia's men's team of Sergey Shilov, Kirill Mikhaylov and Nikolay Polukhin finished the 1x4-km plus 2x5-km race in a time of 38min 54.8sec, nearly 22 seconds ahead of Ukraine with Norway claiming the bronze.

The women's squad of Maria Iovleva, Mikhalina Lysova and Liubov Vasilyeva crossed in a time of 20:23.3, finishing ahead of Ukraine and Belarus.


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