Derek
Zaplotinsky

Para nordic skier Derek Zaplotinsky is one of Canada’s most improved Para athletes since the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing.

On the 2025-26 Para biathlon World Cup circuit, Zaplotinsky earned the Crystal Globe for the first time in his career as the overall champion in the men’s sitting category. He also kicked off the Para cross country World Cup circuit with two bronze medals at the season opening event.

Also in cross country, he added four medals on the 2023-24 World Cup circuit and has three top-fives at the two worlds since Beijing 2022.

In Para biathlon, he captured gold in the sprint at the Paralympic Games World Cup test event in Val di Fiemme, Italy and was third overall on the circuit in 2023-24. He was a silver medallist in the 12.5 km at the 2025 Para biathlon worlds and posted two fourths a year earlier.

Zaplotinsky’s best result in three races at the Beijing 2022 Games was an eighth in the middle-distance event.

He competed in five races in his Paralympic Winter Games debut in 2018, with two top-10 finishes.

Cross-country skiing wasn’t even on Zaplotinsky’s radar when he was first introduced to the sport. He first got involved as a cross training opportunity for hand cycling, but adapted quite quickly. Having grown up on a farm, he was attracted to the outdoor lifestyle of Para nordic skiing.

A triple medal performance at the Canada Games in 2015 (one gold, two silver) gave him the belief he could represent Canada in the sport internationally.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2018 and 2022 Paralympic Winter Games… World championship team member in Para nordic (2015, 2017, 2019, 2023), Para cross country (2025), Para biathlon (2024, 2025)…

PERSONAL
In 2006 he was motocross racing in Lloydminster and another dirt bike landed on him leaving him paralyzed from the waist down…Returned to sport four years later, first as a Para cyclist and then as a cross-country skier… enjoys hand cycling, boating, sledding and hunting…

NOTABLE INTERNATIONAL RESULTS

2025 Para biathlon World Championships – 12.5 km – 2nd

2025 Para biathlon World Championships – sprint pursuit – 8th

2025 Para biathlon World Championships – 7.5 km – 8th

2025 Para cross country World Championships – mixed relay – 5th

2025 Para cross country World Championships – 10 km – 7th

2024 Para biathlon World Championships – sprint pursuit – 4th

2024 Para biathlon World Championships – 12.5 km – 9th

2024 Para biathlon World Championships – 7.5 km – 4th

2023 Para nordic World Championships – mixed relay – 4th

2023 Para nordic World Championships – sprint – 5th

2023 Para nordic World Championships – 10 km – 9th

2022 Paralympic Winter Games – biathlon middle distance – 8th

2022 Paralympic Winter Games – sprint cross country – 12th

2022 Paralympic Winter Games – long distance cross country – 13th

2022 Paralympic Winter Games – biathlon sprint – 14th

2019 Para nordic World Championships – biathlon sprint – 4th

2019 Para nordic World Championships – cross country middle distance – 5th

2018 Paralympic Winter Games – 7.5 km biathlon – 9th

2018 Paralympic Winter Games – 15 km cross country – 9th

2018 Paralympic Winter Games – 12.5 km biathlon – 12th

2018 Paralympic Winter Games – 7.5 km cross country – 15th

2017 Para nordic World Championships – biathlon 12.5 km –9th

2017 Para nordic World Championships – biathlon 15 km –5th

2017 Para nordic World Championships – biathlon 7.5 km –10th

2017 Para nordic World Championships – cross country 10 km –12th

2015 Para nordic World Championships – cross country 15 km –12th