Germany Continues to Lead Alpine Skiing Europa Cup

Germany leads the team rankings with 5,310 points at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Alpine Skiing Europa Cup finals in Auron, France.

In second place, Austria is on 5,140 points, followed by France on 4,716 points.

Germany’s success is largely down to its strong sit-ski team comprising Anna Schaffelhuber, Anna-Lena Forster, Thomas Nolte, Georg Kreiter and Franz Hanfstingl, as well as Andrea Rothfuss in the Standing category.

Monday and Tuesday (26-27 March) saw fierce competition in two Super-G events, with Germany and France picking up three golds each.

Germany’s Schaffelhuber won two golds in the women’s Super-G Sitting this week with Forster taking a silver and bronze.

Though Germany’s men’s Sitting team did not medal in the first Super-G Sitting event, Kreiter won gold and Nolte bronze in the second. Austria’s Reinhold Sampl picked up gold in Monday’s Super-G.

France’s Vincent Gauthier-Manuel, who won the men’s Standing trophy at the 2012 IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup earlier this month, clinched gold in both Super-G Standing races. With 1,004 points, however, Salcher is leading the overall men’s Standing rankings ahead of Switzerland’s Michael Bruegger on 720 points.

Slovakia’s Jakub Krako continues to lead the men’s Visually Impaired rankings on 1,165 points ahead of Russia’s Valery Redkozubov on 930 points. However, Krako did not have the best finishes in the men’s Super-G, coming seventh and second. His teammate Michal Beladic won gold in both events.

In the women’s Standing, Italy’s Melania Corradini leads the rankings on 1,185 points, ahead of Austria’s Danja Haslacher on 1,010 points. Corradini won gold and bronze in this week’s Super-G events. The other gold went to France’s Marie Bochet, winner of the 2012 IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup women’s trophy.

Russia’s Alexandra Frantseva continues to dominate the women’s Visually Impaired rankings on 960 points, ahead of Great Britain’s Jade Etherington (560 points). Frantseva won double gold in the Super-G events.

Racing continues until 30 March with Super Combined, Giant Slalom and Slalom events.