Alpine Skiing World Cup Continues in USA

As the IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup draws to a climax, skiers will battle it out for a spot on the podium in Winter Park. 06 Mar 2012

Austria's Markus Salcher competing in the 2011-12 ski season

Austria's Markus Salcher is one of the top men's standing skiers in the world.

ⒸMichael Knaus

By IPC

More than 60 alpine skiers from 16 countries are in Winter Park, Colorado (USA), for the penultimate round of the IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup.

From 6-9 March, skiers will compete in the first Super-G event of the series, as well as Giant Slalom and Slalom.

In the women’s Visually Impaired races, Slovakia’s Henrieta Farkasova and Russia’s Alexandra Frantseva will be the ones to watch, with Farkasova likely to have the edge.

France’s Marie Bochet will hope to stay dominant in the women’s Standing events but will continue to be challenged by Germany’s Andrea Rothfuss, who has been nominated for February’s International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athlete of the Month.

Germany’s Anna Schaffelhuber is a favourite for the women’s Slalom and Giant Slalom Sitting, with USA’s Laurie Stephens and Canada’s Kimberly Joines also on top form this season.

The Men’s Visually Impaired events will likely see Russia’s Valery Redkozubov excelling in the Slalom, and Spain’s Yon Santacana Maiztegui will be pushing hard to stay atop the podium in the Giant Slalom.

Russia’s Alexandr Alyabyev, who has remained virtually unbeaten in the men’s Slalom Standing this season, will likely dominate that event. In the Giant Slalom, France’s Vincent Gauthier-Manuel is also a podium favourite. Austria’s Markus Salcher, with two Super-G Europa Cup golds under his belt, is also one to watch.

In the men’s Slalom Sitting, Austria’s Philipp Bonadimann will hope to add to his two World Cup golds this season.

Japan’s Taiki Morii, who demonstrated his unique Giant Slalom skills in the World Cup in Arte Terme, Italy, hopes to add to the two golds he picked up there, and USA’s Christopher Devlin-Young is favoured to win at home in the Super Combined.

The World Cup final takes place next week from 13-16 March in Panorama, Canada.