Europa Cup Finals latest stop on alpine calendar

France’s four-time Paralympic champion Marie Bochet will be looking to perfect her slalom skills before she clashes with German Paralympic champion Andrea Rothfuss in the women’s standing at Panorama 2015, from 28 February-10 March.

Around 50 athletes from 15 countries will head to the Italian town of Sella Nevea from Monday (16 February) for the 2015 IPC Alpine Skiing Europa Cup Finals, just under two weeks away from the 2015 World Championships.

Whilst some teams have already gone to North America ahead of the Worlds in Panorama, Canada, for the last high-level races in Kimberley, Canada, from 23-26 February, some of Europe’s best skiers have travelled to Italy for slalom, giant slalom and super-combined.

France’s four-time Paralympic champion Marie Bochet will be looking to perfect her slalom skills before she clashes with German Paralympic champion Andrea Rothfuss in the women’s standing at Panorama 2015, from 28 February-10 March.

In the men’s races Austria’s Markus Salcher, a giant slalom Paralympic bronze medallist, will head-out in the giant slalom and super-combined. His teammate Matthias Lanzinger, a super-combined silver medallist and winner of two technical World Cup races in 2014-15, will join him on the slopes.

After winning bronze in all three events at Sochi 2014, Austria’s Roman Rabl has his eye on his first World Championships podium this season in the men’s sitting. Croatia’s Dino Sokolovic, currently in second place in the overall Europa Cup slalom, will also line-up.

The women’s field will feature super-combined and giant slalom world champion, Austria’s Claudia Loesch. Germany’s Ruth Hagspiel will also be looking to continue her run of form after finishing in the top three at the Europa Cup in Matrei, Austria, in January.

Poland’s Maciej Krezel with guide Anna Ogarzynska and the Czech Republic’s Patrick Hetmer, guided by Miroslav Macala, both currently sit in the Europa Cup top 10 across all three disciplines in the men’s visually impaired. They will be amongst those aiming to add more points to their haul in Sella Nevea

In the women’s races, the Belgian duo of Marie-Morgane Dessart with guide Alain Struman and Eleonor Sana, guided by Chloe Sana, have both shared places on the podium in 2014-15.

Competitions begin in Sella Nevea on Monday (16 February) with two slalom races, followed by double giant slalom on Tuesday (17 February) and super-combined on Wednesday (18 February).

Results will be published daily at: http://www.paralympic.org/alpine-skiing/calendar-and-results.

Panorama 2015 is expected to gather around 130 athletes from 30 countries in the biggest gathering of alpine skiers since the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games.

More information can be found at www.Panorama2015.com.