Albert Lea teen describes winning a Paralympic gold medal

Mar. 20—An Albert Lea teenager who won his first gold medal as part of the U.S. Paralympic sled hockey team said earlier this week he is still in shock about the team's historic victory.

The team defeated Canada 6-2 on Sunday to win the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games with a perfect record. It is the only hockey team — Olympic or Paralympic — to win five straight gold medals.

"I was super excited," 18-year-old Landon Uthke said. "It's my first gold medal, but it's a team effort. We wouldn't have been able to do it without all of my team. We have a great group of guys — it's a good brotherhood."

Uthke returned home Tuesday to a welcome of first responders and others and plans to return in-person to Albert Lea High School on Monday.

"I'm enjoying these next few days before it's back to reality," he said.

Uthke grew up in Albert Lea, playing sled hockey for the Rochester Mustangs and the Minnesota Wild sled hockey teams, alongside Team USA teammate and fellow defenseman Liam Cunningham.

Uthke said he was 3 years old when his leg was amputated after a lawnmower accident, and he found sled hockey when he was 7. He said he had been a traditional ice hockey fan since he was able to watch and understand the sport, and his sister Katelyn, also played hockey.

Sled hockey is an adaptation of ice hockey created in Sweden, in which a player with a lower-body disability sits on a special molded bucket seat on a metal frame that is mounted on two skate blades. Players use two sticks, instead of one, that are equipped with metal picks on the bottoms to help propel themselves on the ice. The sport otherwise follows the same rules as icy hockey.

He said his favorite part about playing in the Paralympics was the sense of competition.

"I'm out in Italy playing my sport at the highest possible level that I can," he said. "It was a really awesome experience."

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The first week they were in Italy, their days were full of practice, but during the few weeks they were there, he said they also got to enjoy some exploring and seeing different sights.

"It's way different over there," he said. "The architecture ... it's crazy how long that stuff has lasted."

He said he particularly enjoyed being at the Games with Cunningham.

"That was awesome," he said. "From being a little kid traveling to Chicago to going to Italy. It's just unreal. On the whole team, they're all my brothers, but he's really my brother."

He said he appreciated all of the support he received from people back home and said he had many people he didn't even know who were reaching out to him on Facebook, Instagram and through his phone.

What's next?

Uthke said he hopes to return to the Paralympics in four years.

"It all depends on if I'm in good enough shape and coaches think so, too," he said. "That's my goal is to be back there in 2030 in the French Alps."

He planned to take a week off for now — but said he can't take too many breaks.

"Somebody's wanting my spot, and I'm not ready to give it up just yet," he said.