- Dan Cnossen won the first men’s biathlon event with a victory margin of more than 10 seconds in the 7.5-kilometer sitting competition
- The Topeka, Kansas native’s win on Saturday led to his first medal in 25 career biathlon and cross country events
- The former servicemember was stationed in Afghanistan in September 2009 as the platoon commander for SEAL Team One when he was wounded by an IED
- Cnossen’s profile also notes that he was awarded both a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star with Valor from the Secretary of the Navy for his service in combat
The only double-amputee Navy SEAL in history won a gold medal at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea on Saturday.
Dan Cnossen won the first men’s biathlon event with a victory margin of more than 10 seconds in the 7.5-kilometer sitting competition.
Following his victory, Cnossen, 37, told TeamUSA.org that he didn’t let his performance get bogged down by distraction.
Dan Cnossen (Pictured) won the first men’s biathlon event with a victory margin of more than 10 seconds in the 7.5-kilometer sitting competition
‘In the last games that I did in Sochi, I let the TV screens and the announcer get to me and today I just focused on what I can do and nothing else matters,’ Cnossen said.
‘I crossed the line and I wasn’t even going to look at the board and I was pleasantly surprised at the end.’
Cnossen’s (Pictured) win on Saturday led to his first medal in 25 career biathlon and cross country events
The Topeka, Kansas native’s win on Saturday led to his first medal in 25 career biathlon and cross country events at the world championships and Paralympics dating to 2011, according to NBC News.
The former servicemember was stationed in Afghanistan in September 2009 as the platoon commander for SEAL Team One ‘when he stepped on an IED (improvised explosive device) and was wounded in the explosion,’ Cnossen’s TeamUSA profile states.
‘The accident caused Cnossen to lose both his legs just above the knee….Cnossen went through rehabilitation first at the Bethesda National Naval Medical Center and later at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he learned to walk with his new prosthetics.’
Former first lady Michelle Obama praised Cnossen’s resolve and bravery during a White House shortly after the conclusion of the Sochi Paralympics Games in 2016.
‘Dan’s come a long way in the four years that we met, and I know that his story and the stories of all our Olympians and Paralympians are nowhere near finished,’ she added.
Cnossen’s profile also notes that he was awarded both a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star with Valor from the Secretary of the Navy for his service in combat.
The former servicemember was stationed in Afghanistan in September 2009 as the platoon commander for SEAL Team One when he was wounded by an IED (Pictured: Cnossen stationed in Afghanistan)