Winter Paralympics preview: Para alpine skiing closing day

The men's slalom will wrap up the Para alpine skiing competition at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games on Sunday (13 March).

The Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre has seen six days of medal events with memorable performances and plenty of surprising results.

Here is all you need to know about the final three alpine events of the Games.

SITTING EVENT

Dino Sokolovic created a surprise by becoming the first athlete from Croatia to win a gold medal at the Winter Paralympics in PyeongChang 2018. He has retired from the sport but that does not mean the door is closed for new surprises in the slalom.

Dutch skier Niels de Langen is the Lillehammer 2021 Worlds bronze medallist in the slalom and picked his first-ever Paralympic medal in China (also a bronze, in the super-combined). He is still after his first major championships gold.

Norway's slalom world champion Jesper Pedersen is having a great time in China picking medals in all his four events so far - including a hat-trick of golds. 

Pedersen's main rival during the season, Jeroen Kampscreur is still after his first gold at Beijing 2022. His only podium came in the super-combined - silver behind Pedersen - but he was the fastest in the slalom run. 

China's Zilu Liang finished in fourth place in the super-combined but was the second in the slalom run also ahead of Pedersen. Making his Paralympic debut in the home Games he picked a bronze in the giant slalom.

STANDING EVENT

France's Arthur Bauchet is leading the way in the men's standing event as the defending world champion from Lillehammer 2021. In his second Paralympic appearance, Bauchet will try to better the silver medal won in PyeongChang.

He already picked two golds and a silver at Beijing 2022, including a triumph in the super-combined in which he was the quickest in the slalom run. 

New Zealand’s Adam Hall is the defending Paralympic champion. PyeongChang 2018 was his second slalom title after Vancouver 2010. He also bagged a bronze in Beijing in the men's super-combined standing. 

Finland's Santeri Kiveri had never won a medal in a major event until Beijing 2022 where he has already taken a gold in the giant slalom and a silver in the super-combined.

Italy's Federico Pelizzari has not been on the podium in China yet but was the third best in slalom race in the super-combined final and is another podium hopeful.

VISION IMPAIRED EVENT

Giacomo Bertagnolli of Italy will be in search of a second Paralympic title in the men’s vision impaired slalom. The 23-year-old athlete added a silver medal from Lillehammer 2021 to his list of achievements in the event.

If he does it that will be Bertagnolli's fourth medal in Beijing following his gold in the super-combined and silver in the super-G and giant slalom.

Austria’s teenage prodigy Johannes Aigner first caught the attention with a slalom gold medal in his World Championships debut in Lillehammer in January. In Beijing, he has not missed the podium in any of the four events he has competed in.

The downhill and giant slalom champion, he also picked a silver in the super-combined and a bronze in the super-G. He will be inspired by his sisters Veronika and Barbara, respectively gold and silver in the women's slalom vision impaired. 

Great Britain's Neil Simpson also has family on his side with his brother Adam as guide. Simpson was the third fastest in the super-combined slalom race in which he finished with the bronze medal. He also collected a gold in the super-G in China.

Silver medallist at PyeongChang 2018, Slovakia's Jakub Krako is still after his first medal in Beijing. He has not missed a podium finish since Torino 2006.

Live results from the slalom races at Beijing 2022 will be available on Paralympic.org. You can follow all the action, behind the scenes and news of the closing day on World Para Snow Sports social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.