IPC reveals alpine skiing ones to watch

For more information, see the 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships website

With 50 days to go until the 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in La Molina, Spain, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced the ‘ones to watch’ for the competition.

These are top performers who are set to compete at the event, which runs from 20-27 February 2013.

Slovakia’s Henrieta Farkasova will be one to watch in the women’s visually impaired races, especially strong in slalom and super combined. The 26 year old won gold in four disciplines at the last world championships in 2011. Her main rival is Russia’s Alexandra Frantseva, who topped the world rankings in giant slalom and super-G last season.

The women’s standing will involve a battle for gold between Germany’s Andrea Rothfuss and Marie Bochet from France. Whilst Bochet dominates the slalom and super combined, Rothfuss leads the way in giant slalom and super-G. France’s Solene Jambaque, who won gold in super combined and super-G at the 2011 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships , as well as Italy’s Melania Corradini will also be a top contenders for the podium.

Germany‘ Anna Schaffelhuber and USA’s Alana Nichols are ones to watch in the women’s sitting disciplines. Between them, they swept up all the golds at the last world championships, with Nichols triumphing in downhill and super-G and Schaffelhuber having the edge in slalom, giant slalom and super combined.

In the men’s visually impaired disciplines Slovakia’s Jakub Krako is one to watch. He will hope to defend is world championship title in the slalom. He will face a tough ride though from Russia’s Valery Redkozubov, who dominated last season’s world cup, as well Krako’s teammate Miroslav Haraus and Spain’s Yon Santacana Maiztegui.

The men’s standing disciplines will see some of the fiercest competition between ones to watch Mitch Gourley of Australia, Switzerland’s Thomas Pfyl, Russia’s Alexandr Alyabyev and France’s Vincent Gauthier-Manuel. Gourley is expected to shine in the giant slalom, whilst Pfyl should excel in the slalom, but faces tough competition from the young Alexandr Alyabyev or Russia. Gauthier-Manuel is sttongest in super-G and super combined. Expect to see all of them fighting it out for spots on the podium.

The Japanese men dominate the sit-skiing competition, with their top rivals hailing from Germany and Austria. Ones to watch in this category are Taiki Morii and Takeshi Suzuki. Suzuki tends to dominate slalom and super combined disciplines, whereas his teammate shines more in giant slalom and super-G.

For more information, see the 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships website.