Daniel Cnossen


Daniel Cnossen is an American biathlete and cross-country skier who won gold in Biathlon at the 2018 Winter Paralympics – Men's 7.5 kilometres in the sitting division. He is a native of Topeka, Kansas and a double amputee. His accident occurred during the War in Afghanistan due to an improvised explosive device while he was a Navy SEAL. Cnossen also competed at the 2014 Winter Paralympics. Cnossen is currently a graduate student at Harvard University, working towards a Master of Public Administration at the John F. Kennedy School of Government as well as a Master of Theological Studies at the Divinity School.

2018 Winter Paralympics

Cnossen competed at the 2018 Winter Paralympics and created history in his second Paralympic appearance after claiming a gold medal in the men's 7.5km sitting biathlon event. In doing so he became the first American male and the second American ever to claim a gold medal in a biathlon event in either the Olympics or Paralympics after Kendall Gretsch, who achieved the feat at earlier at the same Paralympic games.
In addition to his gold medal achievement, Cnossen also clinched silver in the men's 15km cross-country skiing sitting, 12.5km biathlon sitting, 15km biathlon sitting and 10km cross-country classical sitting, and a bronze medal in the 1.1km cross-country sprint sitting.