Iceland: Six facts on the Sochi 2014 Paralympics

Yet to medal in Sochi, the nation known for its swimming stars, will hope to make its mark on the snow. 23 Jan 2014
Imagen
Jon Margeir Sverrisson Iceland

Jon Margeir Sverrisson of Iceland celebrates after winning the gold in the Men's 200m Freestyle - S14 final on day 4 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games

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By IPC

- Iceland has never won a medal at either the Paralympic Winter Games or the Olympic Winter Games.

- They first competed at the Paralympic Winter Games in 1994 in ice sledge speed racing and returned to the Winter Games in 2010.

- Erna Fridriksdottir competed in the technical disciplines of sitting alpine skiing at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, but did not register a rank in either race.

- Swimmer Kristin Hakonardottir is one of Iceland's most successful Paralympic athletes, winning six gold medals and 12 total medals from 1992-2004.

- In 1992 Sigrun Huld Hrafnsdottir, a swimmer with an intellectual impairment , won nine gold medals at the Madrid 1992 Paralympic Games for persons with an intellectual impairment, an event sancioned by the International Co-ordinating Committee (ICC) (fore-runners to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC)) and held shortly after the Barcelona 1992 Paralympic Games.

- At the Paralympic Summer Games, Iceland has won 15 gold medals and 63 total medals. If medals from the Madrid 1992 Games are also included, this total comes to 36 gold medals.

Athletes:

Alpine skiing

Erna FRIDRIKSDOTTIR

Johann Thor HOLMGRIMSSON

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