What to watch: February
01.02.2013Here’s a brief run-down of the top Paralympic sporting events around the world to keep your eyes on in February.
Brian McKeever won his third race of the week in the men’s standing cross-country free technique during the 2012-13 IPC Nordic Skiing World Cup in Cable, Wisconsin, USA.
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About 150 of the world’s top alpine skiers on the Paralympic circuit will compete in La Molina, Spain at the sixth edition of the Championships, one of the final major events before Sochi 2014.
Canada-USA sledge hockey series (14-16 February)
In a rematch of the 2012 World Sledge Hockey Challenge final, rivals Canada and USA will face each other in a three-game series in Rockland, Ontario. USA are the defending world and Paralympic champions, while Canada won bronze at last year’s A Pool World Championships and are looking to do better at this year’s event in April in Goyang, Korea.
World Wheelchair Curling Championships (16-23 February)
These Championships will also serve as the sport’s test event for the Sochi 2014 Games, drawing the world’s top 10 teams to the Ice Cube Curling Centre in Sochi. Teams competing include: Canada, China, Finland, Korea, Norway, Russia Scotland, Slovakia, Sweden and USA.
IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships (20-27 February)
About 150 of the world’s top alpine skiers on the Paralympic circuit will compete in La Molina, Spain at the sixth edition of the Championships, one of the final major events before Sochi 2014. Athletes from nearly 40 countries will take part, including Spain’s own visually impaired star Jon Santacana and former able-bodied skier Matthias Lanzinger of Austria.
5th Fazza International Powerlifting Championships (21-28 February)
Some of the world’s best powerlifters from Asia and Africa will compete in the sport’s first major competition since London 2012, held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Last year’s event was a two-horse race between Nigeria and Egypt, and a number of world records were broken.
IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships (25 February – 5 March)
Around 150 athletes from 15 countries will compete in cross-country skiing and biathlon at the Hallstaberget ski venue, just 10 minutes from the city centre of Solleftea, Sweden. A few names to keep your eyes on include Canada’s Brian McKeever, Russia’s Roman Petushkov and Ukraine’s Oleksandra Kononova.
