Alpine Skiing Europa Cup Debuts in Czech Republic

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Jakub Krako (SVK) competes in the Men's Visually Impaired Giant Slalom at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. © • Getty Images Slovakia's Miroslav Haraus and guide Maria Zatovicova at the IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup in La Molina, where he won two bronze medals in men's Slalom Standing. © • IPC

For the first time ever, the Czech Republic will host an International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Alpine Skiing event Thursday (23 February) with athletes from six nations competing in the Super Combined race in the Europa Cup in Spindleruv Mlyn.

Czech skiers Miroslav Sperk, Oldrich Jelinek and Radim Kozlovsky will hope to make an impression in the men's Sitting. Kozlovsky and his teammate Visually Impaired skier Anna Kuliskova will make their Europa Cup debut at home.

This event may, however, be Germany’s chance to shine again, with Andrea Rothfuss the favourite in the women’s Standing races, and German sit-skiers being strong in both men’s and women’s events.

Anna Schaffelhuber will aim to stay ahead of her teammate Anna Lena Forster in the women’s Sitting, and Franz Hanfstingl and Thomas Nolte are strong medal contenders for the men’s Sitting events.

Slovakia is a set to dominate the Visually Impaired category headed up by Henrieta Farkasova in the women’s events and Jakub Krako and his teammate Miroslav Haraus in the men’s Visually Impaired.