Oleksandra Kononova tied for gold on her 25th birthday ©Getty Images

Ukraine’s Oleksandra Kononova celebrated her 25th birthday in style by sharing victory with Russia’s Anna Milenina at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Biathlon and Cross-Country Skiing World Cup in Finsterau in Germany.

Kononova, the sprint cross-country skiing world champion, was one of the favourites for the race victory at the start of the one kilometre standing competition.

She proved unable to shake off the attentions of Milenina throughout the duration of the event and the pair crossed the line in 3min 18.86sec.

A photo finish was unable to separate the competitors and the judges decided to award them both gold medals.

Another Ukrainian, Liudymla Liashenko, won the bronze medal.

The visually impaired competition saw Russia’s Mikhalina Lysova top the podium with her guide Alexey Ivanov crossing in a time of 3:23.25.

Ukraine’s Oksana Shyshkova finished four seconds adrift of the Paralympic champion to secure the silver medal and Lysova’s team-mate Elena Remizova earned the final minor medal.

It looked like being another day when Russia and Ukrainian athletes dominated the podiums,.

Even when America won a gold medal in the women's sitting event it was thanks to the Ukrainian-born Oksana Masters crossing the line first in 3:26.51.

Russia’s Maria Iovleva was just five seconds adrift to claim the silver medal and home favourite Andrea Eskau sealed the bronze medal by completing the distance in 3:34.61.

Stanislav Chokhlaev earned gold in a Russian clean sweep in the visually impaired event
Stanislav Chokhlaev earned gold in a Russian clean sweep in the visually impaired events ©Getty Images

Russian domination was restored, however,  in the men’s events as Stanislav Chokhlaev led home a Russian clean sweep in the visually impaired  competition, after being guided to the gold medal in a time of 2:42.31 by Oleg Kolodiichuk.

Vladimir Udaltcov and Oleg Ponomarev crossed the line in times of 2:45.02 and 2:47.80 respectively to complete the podium.

In the men’s sitting competition, Ivan Golubkov continued his unbeaten record this week.

The 20-year-old clocked 2:55.18 to narrowly beat Ukraine’s world champion Maksim Yarovyi.

The United States’ Andrew Soule earned his country’s second medal of the day, ending in third position on 3:03.31.

Further Russian success came in the standing event with Vladislav Lekomtsev ending eight seconds clear of his team-mate Rushan Minnegulov to claim the gold medal. 

Ukraine’s Grygorii Vovchynskyi held off the challenge of France’s Benjamin Daviet to take the bronze medal.