Brazil: Eight facts on the Sochi 2014 Paralympics

As Brazil makes its debut at a Winter Paralympics, the summer Games powerhouse will hope to prove it is not all about Rio 2016. 17 Jan 2014

Brazil's Andre Cintra finished in the top 15 at the 2013-14 IPCAS Snowboard World Cup in Big White, Canada.

ⒸNPC Brazil

By IPC

• Brazil have never won a medal at either the Paralympic or Olympic Winter Games.

• Brazilians will compete in Paralympic Winter Games for the first time in Sochi.

• One of Brazil's most accomplished Paralympic winter athletes is Fernando Aranha, who finished in the top 30 in three different cross-country skiing disciplines at the 2013 IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships in Solleftea, Sweden.

• Aranha came 26th in both the 10km and 15km sitting events and 28th in the 1km sprint.

• Snowboarder Andre Cintra finished in the top 15 at Big White World Cup

• Brazil has won 73 gold medals and 230 total medals at the Paralympic Summer Games, ranking 27th among all NPCs in both categories.

• Brazil's total of 73 gold medals at the Paralympic Summer Games is more than double the number of gold medals won by all the other South American NPCs combined (36).

• Before Sochi 2014, Brazil's most recent top 10 result at the Olympic Winter Games was a ninth place in the women's snowboard cross by Isabel Clark Ribeiro in 2006.

Athletes:

Snowboard

Andre CINTRA PEREIRA

Nordic skiing

Fernando ARANHA ROCHA, Facebook