Paralympic Sports
Para-alpine skiing demands extreme agility, strength, and speed, with racers reaching speeds of up to 100km/hour. Adaptive alpine skiing is currently practiced in more than 40 countries; the sport continues to grow in popularity and accessibility.
At the first Paralympic Winter Games in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, in 1976, the Slalom and Giant Slalom were the only two para-alpine events. Today, there are five para-alpine events at the Paralympic Games:
Downhill: Skiers are timed as they race down a long, steep course passing through a relatively few number of gates used as checkpoints. Skiers who miss a gate are disqualified. Each athlete is allowed only one run down the course. The skier with the fastest time wins.
Super Giant Slalom (Super-G): Super-G is raced on a course that is shorter than Downhill but longer than Giant Slalom and Slalom. The number of gates the skier must pass through is determined by the vertical drop, with a minimum of 35 direction changes for men and 30 for women. Gates are set at least 25m apart and as with other events, missing a gate leads to disqualification. Each athlete is permitted one run down the course and their time determines their order of finish.
Super Combined (SC): This event combines two disciplines, such as one Downhill and one Slalom run, or one Super-G and one Slalom run. The result is calculated by the combined time of both runs.
Giant Slalom (GS): Giant Slalom is raced on a shorter course than Super G but includes more gates. Again, the number of gates is determined by the vertical drop and the penalty for missing a gate is disqualification. Each athlete completes two runs on the same day on different courses. An athlete’s times from the two courses are added to determine the finish order.
Slalom: Slalom is a highly technical alpine event. The course is shorter than other Alpine Skiing events and includes more gates (55-75 gates on a men's course and 40-60 on a women's course). The penalty for missing a gate is disqualification. Each athlete completes two runs on the same day on different courses. Times from the two courses are added to determine the finish order.
Alpine Skiing is governed by the IPC with co-ordination by the IPC Alpine Skiing Technical Committee and the rules of the International Ski Federation (FIS) are used with only a few modifications. Alpine Canada Alpin is the governing body for para-alpine and alpine ski racing in Canada.
Keep Reading: Classification, Adaptive Ski Equipment and History
Information Provided by the Canadian Paralympic Committee www.paralympic.ca
Biathlon demands an athlete to alternate the skills of physical endurance and shooting accuracy during a competition. Biathlon athletes with a disability are classified as standing, sitting, or skiers with a visual impairment. The sport combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, but differs from Olympic biathlon because skiers must always shoot from a prone position. Athlete start times are staggered by a 30 second interval system.
Biathlon is divided into short-distance and long-distance. In short-distance, skiers race around a 2-5km loop and stop twice to take five shots at a target placed 10km away. Long-distance is similar but skiers must make five trips around the loop, stopping to shoot four times. For the shooting portion, skiers with a visual impairment use an electronic system that sends out acoustic signals to indicate when they are nearing the target.
Each target has five plates in a row that must be hit within their 15mm bull’s eye. In short-distance, a 150m penalty loop must be skied for each missed shot. In long-distance, a one minute time penalty is added to the athlete’s time for each missed shot. The International Paralympic Committee uses the Nordic Percentage System to equalise across categories and determine one gold, silver, and bronze medal position.
The competition is open to men and women with a physical disability and visual impairment. The sport is governed by the IPC with co-ordination by the IPC Nordic Skiing Technical Committee following the modified rules of the International Biathlon Union (IBU). Cross-Country Canada is the National Sport Federation.
Keep Reading: Classification, Equipment and History
Information Provided by the Canadian Paralympic Committee www.paralympic.ca
Paralympic athletes cross-country ski on tracks ranging from 2.5km to 20km, depending on the event. They use an interval start system, as well as the Nordic Percentage System, to equalize across categories. Paralympic cross-country skiing also has a relay event where each skier completes one leg of the race. Relay teams may be made up of individuals in different classification categories.
Cross-country skiers use both the classical technique, where their skis move parallel to one another in machine made tracks, and the free technique, where they push off with the edge of their skis to propel themselves. Free technique is slightly faster and uses shorter skis. Sit skiers only follow the classical technique because they propel themselves using their arms. Cross-country skiing events are split into two separate races for both standing & visually-impaired classes: classical and free technique.
Cross-country Skiing is governed by the IPC with co-ordination by the IPC Nordic Skiing Technical Committee following modified rules of the International Ski Federation (FIS). Cross Country Canada is the National Sport Federation.
Keep Reading: Classification, Equipment and History
Information Provided by the Canadian Paralympic Committee www.paralympic.ca
Sledge hockey is the Paralympic version of ice hockey. It is fast-paced, highly physical, and played by athletes with a physical disability in the lower part of the body. Sledge hockey is an extremely exciting game for players and spectators and is currently played in 15 countries. To date, Canada, Norway, the USA, and Sweden have dominated international competitions, although strength is growing among other national teams.
Since its debut on the Paralympic program at the 1994 Lillehammer Paralympic Winter Games, sledge hockey has continued to grow in popularity, becoming one of the biggest attractions for spectators at the Paralympic Winter Games.
Sledge hockey has essentially the same rules as ice hockey. The first set of international rules were created in 1990. They were drafted from Canadian rules, with the main modifications involving the athletes’ abilities and equipment. While usually played by all male teams, this year the IPC approved an entry provision to allow qualified teams for the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games to enter female athletes onto their roster.
All players are required to have standardized ice sledge hockey equipment as per the guidelines set by the IHEC (Ice Hockey Executive Committee). Instead of wearing skates, each player sits strapped to a two-blade sledge that is raised high enough to allow the puck to pass beneath. Players also use two 75cm long hockey sticks, with spikes on one end and blades on the other. The spike is used to propel the sledge across the ice while the slightly curved blade is used to handle the puck. The goaltender may have an additional pick at the base end of his stick and may use an additional stick with a blade or a trapper glove with teeth.
Similar to ice hockey, each team has six players on the ice, including the goaltender. Teams are comprised of a maximum 15 male players per team, including two goaltenders. Games consist of three 15-minute stop-time periods. Each team attempts to outscore its opponent by shooting the puck (a hard rubber disc) across the ice and into the opposing team's goal while preventing the opposing team from scoring.
Sledge hockey is governed by the IPC through the International Paralympic Ice Hockey Committee. It follows the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) with a few modifications. The National Sport Federation for sledge hockey is Hockey Canada
Keep Reading: Classification, Equipment and History
Information Provided by the Canadian Paralympic Committee www.paralympic.ca
The objective of wheelchair curling is to get the 19.1 kilogram stone as close to the centre ring as possible. Two co-ed teams play at a time, each having four members. A game consists of eight ends. During an end, teams alternate turns with each player “throwing,” in fact sliding, two rocks toward the rings. In wheelchair curling there is no sweeping, which means each throw has to be even more precise. The player’s wheelchair must be stationary during the throw and the stones can be thrown by hand or given an initial push with a cue.
After both teams have delivered eight rocks, the team with the rock closest to the centre is awarded one point for each of its own rocks that is closer than the opponent's closest rock. Rocks that are not in the house (further from the center than the outer edge of the 12-foot (3.7 m) ring) do not score even if no opponent's rock is closer. A rock is considered to be in the house if any portion of its edge is over any portion of the 12-foot (3.7 m) ring.
If the teams are tied at the completion of ten ends, an extra end is played to break the tie. If the match is still tied after the extra end, play continues for as many ends as may be required to break the tie. The winner is the team with the highest score after all ends have been completed.
Wheelchair curling is governed by and played according to the rules of the World Curling Federation (WCF), in which all of the same rules apply as able-bodied curling with only the following modifications:
- Each game is played over 6 ends with an extra end played if the teams are tied
- Each player releases their stones before the hog line
- No sweeping is permitted
- All players must deliver the stone from a stationary wheelchair, which is placed so that the stone is delivered from the centre line
- Each team must be comprised of mixed gender. At the start of the competition each team is composed of four players, each player playing two stones and playing each stone alternately with their opponent
- Where five players are registered, these five players have equal standing and may be used at any time, in accordance with the rules, at the discretion of the skip or coach. At least one member of the on-ice team must be of the opposite gender, unless there is a reason adjudged valid by the Chief Umpire
- Delivery of the stone may be undertaken by the conventional arm/hand release or by the use of a cue
The Canadian Curling Association is the National Sport Federation.
Keep Reading: Classification, Equipment and History
Information Provided by the Canadian Paralympic Committee www.paralympic.ca
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