IPC Alpine Skiing Media Guide 2015-2016 IPC Alpine Skiing Media Guide 1 Table of contents 4 President’s welcome 6 Media and broadcast contacts 7 About the sport 8 Competition description 10 Looking ahead to 2015-16 12 Competition calendar 2015-2016 15 Accreditation for competitions 16 Classification explained 18 Ones to Watch 64 Vital statistics 66 Participation 68 Medals tables 70 2015 World Championships medallists 76 Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games medallists 82 World Cup standings 84 National Paralympic Committee contacts 88 Officials 88 Anti-doping 2 IPC Alpine Skiing Media Guide IPC Alpine Skiing Media Guide 3 President’s welcome This range of competitions catering for skiers just starting out right through to the high performance level, expands the depth and reach of para-alpine skiing around the world. Of particular note is the commitment to growing the sport in Asia ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. There is a vast amount of untapped talent in the region so by providing new competition opportun ities, fresh faces will hopefully emerge in the coming years. In media terms, full coverage of the Dear media representative, World and continental Cup calendar at ipc-alpineskiing.org and on social media Welcome to the first IPC Alpine Skiing will be provided. Alongside organisers, Media Guide, which we hope contains athlete stories and reactions, race re- everything you need for the 2015-16 sea- ports, pictures and behind the scenes son. information will be delivered to help you to follow all the action. As one of the most established para- sports, alpine skiing has grown into one I hope that this Media Guide is useful of the most popular on the Paralympic and provides you with everything you Winter programme. need, but we would be grateful for any comments you might have about what However outside of the Games and major information you would like to see in future events like World Championships, the size editions. and profile of the competition calendar at the World and continental Cup level has been building. Thanks for your support, Regards Working with organisers around the world, 2015-16 will feature six World and seven Europa Cups. The circuit will also travel to South Korea and Japan for Asia Cups and resorts in Argentina, the Netherlands, Italy, the Czech Republic, Austria, Serbia Sir Philip Craven MBE and Switzerland for youth and develop- IPC President ment races. 4 IPC Alpine Skiing Media Guide IPC Alpine Skiing Media Guide 5 Media and broadcast contacts About the sport Lucy Dominy Alpine skiing is practiced worldwide and follow. Some athletes use equipment that IPC Sports Public Relations and Campaigns Manager features six disciplines: downhill, slalom, is adapted to their needs including single Telephone: +49 228 2097-159 giant slalom, super-G, super combined, ski, sit-ski or orthopaedic aids. Email: [email protected] and team events. Athletes combine speed and agility while racing down slopes at IPC Alpine Skiing acts as the International speeds of around 100km/h. Federation for the sport which is co- Eva Werthmann ordinated by the IPC Alpine Skiing Tech- IPC Media Operations Manager Competition accommodates male and fe- nical Committee. Telephone: +49 228 2097-143 male athletes with a physical impairment Email: [email protected] such as spinal injury, cerebral palsy, am- Five events are on the Paralympic pro- putation and visual impairment. gramme: downhill, super-G, super com- bined, giant slalom, and slalom. Jose Manuel-Dominguez Athletes compete in three categories IPC Broadcast Manager based on their functional ability, and a Telephone: +49 228 2097-104 results calculation system allows athletes Follow us: Email: [email protected] with different impairments to compete against each other. @IPCAlpine Skiers with visual impairment are guided IPCAlpineskiing through the course by sighted guides using signals to indicate the course to www.ipc-alpineskiing.org 6 IPC Alpine Skiing Media Guide IPC Alpine Skiing Media Guide 7 Competition description Downhill Slalom Giant slalom History Each athlete completes one run down the Each athlete completes two runs on the Each athlete completes two runs on the course with the fastest time winning. Ath- same day on different courses. Times same day on different courses. Times After the Second World War, ski sport for letes ski down a long, steep course and from the two runs are added together with from the two runs are added together persons with an impairment was system- must pass through a relatively small num- the fastest time winning. It is a technical with the fastest time winning. It is a tech- atically developed as injured ex-service- ber of gates. If an athlete misses a gate event over a shorter course than other nical event with a longer course and fewer men returned to the sport they loved. In they are disqualified. For weather, safety events but with a high number of gates gates than the slalom. The number of 1948, the first courses were offered. and other reasons, the jury can decide that the athlete must negotiate. If an ath- gates is determined by the vertical drop to have a two-run downhill if the vertical lete misses a gate they are disqualified. of the course. If an athlete misses a gate The first documented Championships drop does not comply. they are disqualified. for skiers with an impairment were held in Badgastein, Austria, in 1948 with 17 athletes taking part. Since 1950, events Super-G have been held around the world. The in- A speed event where each athlete com- troduction of sit-ski allowed people using pletes one run down the course with the wheelchairs to begin to ski and race. fastest time winning. The course is gener- ally shorter than downhill but longer than The first Paralympic Winter Games took slalom and giant slalom. place in Ornskoldsvik in Sweden in 1976 and featured two alpine disciplines - sla- lom and giant slalom. Super combined A combined competition which repre- Downhill was added to the Paralympic sents the final result of two disciplines - programme in 1984 in Innsbruck, Aus- usually one of either a downhill or super-G tria, and super-G was added in 1994 and a single run of slalom. Each athlete at Lillehammer, Norway. Sit-skiing was completes two runs on the same day on introduced as a demonstration sport at different courses. Times from the two the Innsbruck 1984 Paralympics and be- runs are added together with the fastest came a medal event at the Nagano 1998 time winning. Paralympic Games 8 IPC Alpine Skiing Media Guide IPC Alpine Skiing Media Guide 9 Looking ahead to 2015-16 The 2015-16 season will be highlighted Asia Cups at Yongpyong, South Korea and by World and continental Cups across in Hakuna Nagano, Japan, come towards technical and speed disciplines. the end of the season in March. The climax will come on the world re- Alongside, National Championships, nowned slopes of Aspen, USA, with lower-level and youth races will take technical World Cup Finals in slalom and place in the Netherlands, Italy, the giant slalom from 24-26 February, closely Czech Republic, Austria, Canada, the followed by finals in downhill and super-G USA, Serbia, Switzerland and France. from 28 February - 4 March. Skiers have also already competed at Completing the Europa Cup season are the Audi Quattro Winter Games in New the finals in Obersaxen, Switzerland, in Zealand and at races in Argentina. super-G, super combined and giant sla- lom between 16-18 March. The particular focus in 2015-16 is con- tinuing to develop the reach and profile of In the lead-up, the World Cup circuit will the World Cup and beginning to provide get underway in Abtenau, Austria, on regular competitions in Asia ahead of the 15-17 January, whilst the Europa Cup PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022 begins on the indoor slopes at Landgraaf, Paralympic Winter Games. the Netherlands, on 19-20 November. World Cup races in Italy, Switzerland and France are packed into January 2016 and Austria, Spain and Serbia will all host Eur- opa Cup competitions. 10 IPC Alpine Skiing Media Guide IPC Alpine Skiing Media Guide 11 Competition calendar 2015-2016 Level Location, Country Date Programme Level Location, Country Date Programme Youth race Landgraaf, Nether- 17 November Slalom World Cup Tarvisio, Italy 18-19 January Slalom, giant slalom lands IPCAS Park City, Utah, USA 21-22 January Slalom, giant slalom IPCAS* Landgraaf, Nether- 17-18 November Slalom 1, slalom 2 World Cup St Moritz, Switzer- 21-23 January Slalom 1, slalom 2 lands land Europa Cup Landgraaf, Nether- 19-20 November Slalom 1, slalom 2 World Cup St. Moritz, Switzer- 21-23 January Slalom 1, slalom 2 lands land IPCAS Panorama, Canada 1-4 December Super-G, super World Cup Tignes, France 25-29 January Downhill training, combined, giant downhill 1, downhill slalom, slalom 2, super-G 1, IPCAS Ravascletto-Zoncol- 5-6 December Giant slalom, slalom super-G 2 an, Italy IPCAS Veysonnaz, Switzer- 25-28 January Slalom 1, slalom 2, IPCAS Ravascletto - 7-8 December Giant slalom, slalom land giant slalom 1, giant Zoncolan, Italy slalom 2 National Pitztal, Austria 12-13 December Slalom, giant slalom Youth Race Stara Planina, 29-30 January Slalom, giant slalom Championships Serbia Youth race Pitztal, Austria 12-13 December Slalom, giant slalom IPCAS Stara Planina, 30 January - 2 Slalom, giant slalom, Europa Cup Pitztal, Austria 14-15 December Super combined, Serbia February downhill training, Super-G downhill 1, downhill 2 IPCAS Winter Park, USA 16-19 December Slalom