Italy’s Comunale podium prospect for La Molina 2015

Giuseppe Comunale has impressed in World Cup races this season, with three top three finishes in snowboard cross and banked slalom. 17 Feb 2015 By IPC

“I prefer boardercross but any type of medals are good.”

Italy’s Giuseppe Comunale is aiming make the podium at the 2015 IPC Para-Snowboard World Championships from Monday (23 February), after a season which has seen him make it onto the World Cup podium for the first time.

Comunale, who was born without a fully developed right leg, took up para-snowboard for fun in 2007 but is now heading to the World Championships in La Molina, Spain, as a hot medal favourite.

He was taken into the Italian development programme in 2010, when his National Paralympic Committee began the search for riders after the Vancouver Paralympic Winter Games.

In 2014-15, following the separation of lower-limb impaired classifications, Comunale finished second in snowboard-cross head-to-head in Aspen, USA and in Big White, Canada, where he also finished second in banked slalom.

Like most other riders, Comunale is excited by the introduction of the head-to-head format in snowboard cross which will be contested at La Molina 2015. However, he confessed that he will settle for medals from either that or the banked slalom.

“I prefer boardercross but any type of medals are good,” Comunale said.

“It’s more technical and it’s better than the banked slalom because it’s a challenge for me.

“The head-to-head is better. It’s very different and I prefer the competition.”

The 2015 IPC Para-Snowboard World Championships run from 23-28 February, with snowboard cross head-to-head taking place on 24 February and banked slalom on 28 February.

All competitions will be livestreamed at ParalympicSport.TV and live results will be available at LaMolina2015.com.

The competition will feature over 40 athletes from nearly 20 countries in the biggest gathering of para-snowboarders since Sochi 2014.