The joy of six: France increase gold medal tally at Beijing Paralympic Winter Games

France's Benjamin Daviet won his second gold medal of the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Winter Games in the 12.5 kilometre cross-country biathlon event. His compatriot Maxime Montaggioni later won gold in the snowboarding. AP - Shuji Kajiyama

Benjamin Daviet and Maxime Montaggioni were France's heroes on Friday at the Beijing Paralympic Winter Games with victories in the biathlon cross-country skiing and snowboarding to push their country's gold medal tally up to six.

Daviet, 32, who carried the French flag at the opening ceremony at the Bird's Nest Stadium on 4 March, won the 12.5km event.

Mark Arendz from Canada took silver and Ukraine's Grygorii Vovchynsky got the bronze.

Daviet's success came two days after he claimed gold in the cross-country biathlon knockout sprint.

🇫🇷 BENJAMIN DAVIET CHAMPION PARALYMPIQUE🥇🥇

Après le titre en sprint en para ski de fond, notre porte drapeau repart une nouvelle fois avec la médaille d'or autour du cou !#AllezLesBleus #Pékin2022 pic.twitter.com/Nbb84DkCkE

— Equipe France (@EquipeFRA) March 11, 2022

"It was a perfect day," Daviet told French broadcaster RMC Sport.

"I felt so good on the skis, so good at shooting, I felt that nothing could get in my way today."

While Friday's triumph furnished Daviet with his fifth gold medal spanning two Winter Games, Montaggioni collected his first Paralympic title in the banked slalom snowboarding event. Ji Lijia and Zhu Yonggang from China were second and third respectively.

It was redemption for the 32-year-old Frenchman who had to withdraw just days before the Pyeongchang Winter Paralympic Games in 2018 with a knee injury.

🥇 MAXIME MONTAGGIONI CHAMPION PARALYMPIQUE !

Sur le Banked Slalom, notre snowboardeur a survolé la compétition et s'empare du titre paralympique 🤩🤩🤩#AllezLesBleus | #LaVictoireEnFace pic.twitter.com/icSczLh9mn

— Equipe France (@EquipeFRA) March 11, 2022

"I was dreaming about the gold," said Montaggioni. "And it has come true. It's incredible.

"The Paralympic Games are still the holy grail and so I cried. I did not understand why people cried when they had a medal at the Games. But now I do. It is an incredible emotion," he told RMCSport.

France remain fourth in the medal table with six golds among the delegation's nine prizes.

China lead the way with 14 golds, 14 silver and 19 bronze. Ukraine lie second with nine golds 10 silver and six bronze.