Slalom Kicks Off World Championships in Korea

The 2009 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships had their first day of competition today in High 1 Resort in Korea, with athletes powering through two runs of the Slalom race. Many of the athletes who were at World Cups earlier this year brought their talent and skills to the popular slopes in Korea, ready to bring home the winning medal.

Yesterday saw a trio of events including training, a classification seminar and the Opening Ceremony. IPC Governing Board member Patrick Jarvis as well as the President of the Korean Paralympic Committee, Hyang-Sook Jang, the President of the Organizing Committee, Ki-Song Jo, the Province Governor of Gangwon-do, Jin-Sun Kim and the IPC Alpine Skiing Sport Technical Committee attended the colourful ceremony.

Currently around 160 athletes from 25 different countries are at the High 1 Ski Resort in Gangwon-Do, Korea for the World Championships.

On the snow today, Canadian favourite, Lauren Woolstencroft, took the top position in the Women’s Standing category of the Slalom race. In the Women’s Sitting category, American Stephani Victor took the first position, followed by Canadian Kimberly Joines with a time of 2:09.50.

In the Women’s Visually Impaired competition, Austrian Sabine Gasteiger and her guide Emil Gasteiger took the first position, followed by Canadian Viviane Forest and her guide Lindsay Debou.

The Men’s Sitting category had Jurgen Egle from Austria take first, with Jean-Yves Le Meur from France and Martin Braxenthaler from Germany in second and third respectively. In the Men’s Standing category, Cameron Rahls-Rahbula from Australia came in first, followed by Adam Hall from New Zealand and Hiraku Misawa from Japan.

In the Men’s Visually Impaired competition, Jakub Krako from Slovakia and his guide Juraj Medera took first, followed by Christopher Williamson from Canada and his guide Nick Brush, and Miroslav Haraus from Slovakia and his guide Martin Makovnik in second and third respectively.

The 2009 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships continue through 1 March, with subsequent competitions in Giant Slalom, Super Combined, Super-G and Downhill races. The Team Event in the Giant Slalom race and the Closing Ceremony will take place on the final day.

The World Championships are organized by the Korea Sports Association for the Disabled (KOSAD), the Korea Adaptive Ski Association (KASA) and the High 1 Ski Resort.