Belarus: Eight facts on the Sochi 2014 Paralympics

Since making their Games debut in 1994, Belarus has excelled at cross-country skiing. 23 Feb 2014

Belarus' Vasili Shaptsiaboi with guide Igar Mathlahov at the IPC Nordic Skiing World Cup in Sjusjoen, Norway.

ⒸElisa Turunen

• Belarus made its Paralympic Winter Games debut in 1994 and has won 20 medals made up of four gold, seven silver and nine bronze

• The country won its first Winter Games medals in 2002 when Yadviha Skorabahataya won a gold and a silver medal in cross-country skiing

• At the last three winter Paralympics (2002-2010), Belarus has won at least one gold medal at each Games

• Cross-country sit-skier Liudmila Vauchok has won eight medals, including three golds, making her Belarus’s most successful winter Paralympian

• The women’s cross-country skiing 10km is the only event Belarus has won more than once at a Paralympic Winter Games. Liudmila Vauchok won gold in the event in 2006 and 2010.

• Belarus has won 19 of its 20 medals in cross-country skiing. It won the other medal in biathlon when Vasili Shaptsiaboi claimed bronze in the men's 3km visually impaired event in 2010

• Larysa Varona (23 in 2006) and Skorabahataya (41 in 2010) are the youngest and oldest medal winners for Belarus at the Paralympic Winter Games

• Belarus has won nine medals in each of the last two Paralympic Winter Games. These nine medals gave Belarus a ninth place in the medal table of the 2010 Games and 11th place in the 2006 medal table

Athletes:

Nordic skiing

Lidziya HRAFEYEVA

Dzmitry LOBAN

Yauheni LUKYANENKA

Vasili SHAPTSIABOI

Valiantsina SHYTS

Siarhei SILCHANKA

Yadviha SKORABAHATAYA

Larysa VARONA

Liudmila VAUCHOK

Siarhei VAUCHUNOVICH