What to watch: March
02.03.2013Here’s a brief run-down of the top Paralympic sporting events around the world to keep your eyes on in March.
USA's Amy Purdy will definitely be one to watch at snowboard's Paralympic Games debut in Sochi in 2014.
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Germany's Andrea Rothfuss will challenge France's Marie Bochet for a spot on the podium at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.
© • Marcus Hartmann
Japan's ice sledge hockey team won a surprise silver medal at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
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7 March marks exactly one year to go until the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.
Sochi Snowboard Test Event (6 March): Just a year and a day prior to making its Paralympic Games debut, snowboard will have its Sochi test event. Favourites for the event include the Netherlands’ Bibian Mentel and USA’s Amy Purdy on the women’s side, as well as USA’s Evan Strong and New Zealand’s Carl Murphy on the men’s side.
IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup Finals (6-12 March): Less than two weeks after the sport’s World Championships, several of the top skiers will head to Sochi, Russia, for this final major international event of the season, which will also serve as the test event for the next Paralympic Winter Games.
IPC Nordic Skiing World Cup Finals (14-21 March): The sport’s final major event of the season will also serve as the Sochi 2014 Games test event, taking place in the Laura Biathlon and Cross-Country venues. The majority of the skiers will come straight from competing in this week’s IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships in Solleftea, Sweden.
5th FAZAA International Athletics Competition (23-26 March): The first stop on the 2013 IPC Athletics Grand Prix will draw 460 competitors from 32 countries to Dubai, UAE. Athletes will compete in distances from 100m up to 5,000m on the track, and field events will consist of shot put, discus, javelin, club throw and long jump. The event has taken place every year since 2009, and since its initiation has seen an increase in number of participants and the level of competition at the event each year.
