Para sport review: March 2018

PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games

PyeongChang 2018 broke multiple records. The 10 day event has witnessed a record 567 athletes from 49 delegations – more than any previous edition - compete in 80 medal events across six sports. Covering the action were 629 accredited media, 15 per cent more than the Sochi 2014, and 47 broadcast rights holders who have screened TV pictures to more than 100 countries.

Nearly 343,000 tickets have been sold for PyeongChang 2018, smashing the previous record of 316,200 sales set at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. Of the 49 competing delegations, a record 26 won a medal and a record 20 won gold.

News, medals table and full results are available on the official website.

UCI Para Cycling Track World Championships

World’s best track Para cyclists return to Rio de Janeiro after two years from competing at the Paralympic Games, for the World Championships, from 23-26 March. British cyclists dominated the first day of competition. China's Jieli Li set a world record in the women's C1 500m time trial. Emily Petricola and Sophie Thornhill also broke world records in their respective categories, while Lauro Chaman gave Brazil the only gold in the competition.

Cajun Classic

Diede de Groot won the year’s second Super Series following a 6-3, 6-2 victory over China’s Zhenzhen Zhu in the final to reach the world No. 1 place for the first time in her career. Alfie Hewett and Dylan Alcott also emerged triumphant.

World Para Swimming World Series

Copenhagen, Denmark, staged the season’s first World Series between 2 and 4 March, with 215 swimmers from 26 countries competing in over 28 medal events. Great Britain’s Stephen Clegg broke the men’s 50m butterfly S12 world record on the opening day. Two more world record fell on day two through Liesette Bruinsma of the Netherlands and Clegg again. Dutch swimmers dominated the final day of competition.

World Para Athletics Grand Prix

The season-opener was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia’s T44 middle-distance man Nour Alsana and Khazakstan’s F45 discus thrower Irina Tychshenko set two new world records on day one. Tunisian duo of Yassine Gharbo and Raoua Tlili also demonstrated great form. Two more world records were set by Algeria’s Nadia Medjmedj in the women's discus F56 and Mexico’s Angeles Ortiz Hernandez in the women's shot put F57.

World Shooting Para Sport World Cup

The first competition of the year was held in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. Home favourite Abdulla Sultan Alaryani captured gold on the last day, showing his form ahead of the World Championships that are almost a month away.

World Para Alpine Skiing Europa Cup Finals

Europa Cup overall winners were crowned in Obersaxen, Switzerland, the site of next year’s World Championships. Christoph Kunz won a hat-trick of races on home snow to capture the title in the men’s sitting category.

IBSA Blind Football World Grand Prix

Copa America gold medallists Argentina were crowned champions of the inaugural edition of this event following a 2-0 victory over England on penalties in the final in Tokyo, Japan.