IPC European Para Snow Sport Youth Circuit heads to Slovenia

“The IPC European Para Snow Sport Youth Circuit will play a major role in developing the next generation of winter snow sport athletes."

The second event of the IPC European Para Snow Sport Youth Circuit will begin on Thursday (28 March), as more than 50 youngsters with an impairment from five countries participate in two days of training and one competition day in Rogla, Slovenia.

Organised by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) with funding from the European Union, Atos and the Foundation for Global Sports Development, athletes ages 10-17 will learn and practice the skills required to take part in alpine skiing, nordic skiing and snowboard.

The event in Rogla is part of an 18-month circuit that began in La Molina, Spain in January on the same slopes that hosted the 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships.

The results from the first event will carry over and the points earned in Rogla will count toward the overall circuit total for the athletes. The circuit has already grown with the addition of one snow sport athlete from Slovenia’s neighbouring country, Croatia, set to participate this time around.

The youngsters will also take part in a media workshop and receive media training in Rogla, and there will be a coaches seminar held based around sports psychology.

The circuit is being supported by the IPC’s Agitos Foundation and Palkinto Tukku is providing medals free of charge for the athletes.

IPC Chief Operating Officer Georg Schlachtenberger said: “The IPC European Para Snow Sport Youth Circuit will play a major role in developing the next generation of winter snow sport athletes.

“Not only will the youngsters have the chance to race on the same slopes that have been used for able-bodied elite competitions, but they will also be given the opportunity to partake in sport, education and media workshops.

“Having the support of the Foundation for Global Sports Development for the circuit also marks a milestone in our partnership to develop young para-athletes worldwide.”

Later this year, Landgraaf, the Netherlands will stage the next event from 17-21 November.

In 2014, the fourth camp of the circuit will be held in Germany’s Ski Area Gotschen in Bischofwiesen and the fifth and final camp of the European Para Snow Sport Youth Circuit will be staged in Sestriere, Italy, the resort which staged the 2011 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships.

Throughout the circuit, which also involves the European Paralympic Committee, results and rankings from each event will be published at www.youth-snow-circuit.eu, the website of the IPC European Para Snow Sport Youth Circuit.

The full schedule for the IPC European Para Snow Sport Youth Circuit is as follows:

- 27-31 January 2013: La Molina, Spain

- 28 March – 1 April 2013: Rogla, Slovenia

- 17-21 November 2013: Landgraaf, the Netherlands TBC

- 5-9 January 2014: Ski Area Gotschen in Bischofwiesen, Germany TBC

- 23-27 March 2014: Sestriere, Italy TBC

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IPC European Para Snow Sport Youth Circuit