Finalists for Whang Youn Dai Award Chosen

The six finalists are:

Male: Valery Jupchinsky (Russia), Takayuki Endo (Japan), Georges Bettega (France)

Female: Paraskevi Christodoulopoulou (Greece), Colettee Bourgonje (Canada), Jacqui Kapinowski (USA)

Two gold medals weighing 75 grams will be presented at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony to two athletes, a male and a female who best exemplify the spirit of the Games and have conquered their adversities and achieved excellence in and through sports and the Paralympic Games.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has received 15 nominations for the Award and selected six finalists who will be interviewed. Final winners (one male and one female) will be decided on 19 March 2010 by Greg Hartung, IPC Vice President, Miguel Sagarra and Rita Van Driel, IPC Governing Board Members. The winners will be announced on 20 March 2010.

The award is named after Dr. Whang Youn Dai, the forefront advocate for persons with disabilities for over 50 years. The award has been given since the 1988 Seoul Paralympic Games to inspire persons with a disability and the world to achieve excellence in sports and in life.

The award will be given at the Closing Ceremony by Dr. Whang Youn Dai and IPC President Sir Philip Craven.