Nordic skiers revealed as Ones to Watch at Sochi 2014

12 Nordic skiiers to look out for this season and into the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. 09 Oct 2013

Brian McKeever

ⒸMartin NauclÃ

By IPC

Those featured have over 30 world and Paralympic titles between them across cross country and biathlon disciplines and are tipped to be medal contenders in Russia from 7 March when the Paralympics begin.

With just 150 days to go until the Sochi 2014 Paralympics, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has named 12 Nordic skiers as Ones to Watch athletes in the season leading up to the Games.

Those featured have over 30 world and Paralympic titles between them across cross country and biathlon disciplines and are tipped to be medal contenders in Russia from 7 March when the Paralympics begin.

Russian Elena Remizova has made the Ones to Watch list for the first time after storming the Nordic skiing circuit since her debut at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. Together with her guide Natalia Yakimova, the 27 year-old has won six world titles since Vancouver and will be looking for her first Paralympic gold in Sochi.

Dominating the men’s visually impaired events is seven-time Paralympic and five-time world champion, Canadian Brian Mckeever, who retains his place on the list of athletes to look out for.

A cross country specialist, Mckeever picked up two golds in the 20km freestyle and sprint events at the 2013 IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships and will be aiming to add to his medal collection in 2014.

Russia’s four-time world champion Nikolay Polukhin also keeps his place on the Ones to Watch list, and is McKeever’s main competition for the 2013-14 season.

Iuliia Batenkova will be hoping that it’s third time lucky for Paralympic gold in Sochi. Her debut at Torino 2006 yielded two silver and three bronze medals, whilst four years later she won three silver and a bronze. The Ukrainian standing skier showed her potential last season by claiming two world titles in biathlon short distance and cross country long distance freestyle at Solleftea.

Japan’s Kozo Kubo has been building his profile and results across biathlon and cross country in recent years and is now regarded as one of the best Nordic sit-skiers on the circuit. In 2012-13, he claimed a world title and finished atop the biathlon World Cup rankings.

The road to Sochi begins for all 12 skiers in December with the first cross country and biathlon World Cup events in Canmore, Canada. The 2013-14 season features six World Cup events in America, Finland and Germany for both cross country and biathlon disciplines.

Standing

Mark Arendz (CAN), 23, reigning world champion men’s biathlon short distance.

Ihor Reptyukh (UKR), 19, reigning world champion men’s biathlon middle distance.

Iryna Bui (UKR), 18, reigning world champion women’s biathlon middle distance.

Iuliia Batenkova (UKR), 30, reigning world champion women’s biathlon short distance and women’s cross country long distance freestyle.

Sitting

Olena Iurkovska (UKR), 29, reigning world champion women’s biathlon short distance and middle distance.

Roman Petushkov (RUS), 37, reigning world champion in men’s biathlon middle distance and cross country sprint classic, middle distance classic and long distance classic.

Grigory Murygin (RUS), 18, reigning world champion men’s biathlon short distance.

Kozo Kubo (JPN), 35, reigning world champion men’s biathlon long distance.

Visually impaired

Brian McKeever (CAN), 34, reigning world champion men’s cross country long distance freestyle and men’s cross country sprint classic and seven-time Paralympic Champion.

Elena Remizova (RUS), 27, reigning world champion women’s cross country long distance freestyle.

Mikhalina Lysova (RUS), 21, reigning world champion women’s biathlon short, middle and long distance and cross country sprint classic and middle distance freestyle. Paralympic champion women’s 3 x 2.5 relay.

Nikolay Polukhin (RUS), 31, reigning Paralympic champion 1x4 + 2x5km relay and reigning world champion men’s cross country middle distance classic and biathlon long, middle and short distance.