IPC Alpine Skiing Committee Plans Year

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Alpine Skiing Sport Technical Committee (STC) held its annual meeting in Bonn, Germany, for the purpose of planning the upcoming sport calendar year.

Taking place over the past five days, the meeting centered around reviewing the recent activities of the last season in Alpine Skiing, and finalizing plans for the upcoming season 2010/2011. The main topics included the revision of Rules and Regulations, Calendar Planning, Classification, Factor Systems, Competition Co-ordination, Development and Budget.

Planning for the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games was also discussed and will continue to be on the table for the STC.

Those attending the meeting included, amongst others, IPC Winter Sport Manager Eric Angstadt, IPC Alpine Skiing STC Chairperson Sylvana Mestre and Australian athlete Toby Kane.

Some of the STC members and the IPC Management will also meet next week with the International Ski Federation (FIS) Sub-Committee for athletes with a disability in Antalya, Turkey, during the 2010 FIS Congress.

Alpine Skiing is governed by the IPC with co-ordination by the IPC Alpine Skiing Technical Committee using the IPCAS Rules and Regulations. Skiers with blindness/visual impairment are guided through the course by sighted guides using voice signals to indicate the course to follow. Athletes with physical disabilities use equipment that is adapted to their needs including single ski, sit-ski or orthopaedic aids. Alpine Skiing is currently practiced by athletes in 39 countries and is steadily growing.