Super-G set to dazzle at Panorama 2015

The second day of speed racing at the 2015 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships will see world and Paralympic champions going for gold in super-G in Panorama, Canada, on Thursday (5 March), after Wednesday’s downhill threw up some surprises.

After winning their first world title as a team in the men’s downhill visually impaired, Canada’s Mac and guide BJ Marcoux will be heading out with the hope of delighting the home crowds once again.

The Marcoux brothers will have to get past Slovakian Paralympic champion Jakub Krako, guided by Martyn Motyka and the Spanish defending world champion Jon Santacana and guide Miguel Galindo.

The women’s visually impaired is Russian Aleksandra Frantceva’s best chance yet of winning gold, having collected silver at Sochi 2014, with guide Semen Pliaskin. However Australia’s Melissa Perrine, guided by Andrew Bor, will be on a high after winning her first world title in the downhill.

The men’s standing will feature a chance for Austria’s Paralympic and world champion Markus Salcher to improve on sixth place finish in the downhill. Once again teammate and Sochi silver medallist Matthias Lanzinger will be there to challenge Salcher, alongside Russia’s new downhill world champion Alexey Bugaev.

The women’s equivalent is set to be equally as thrilling with now seven-time world champion Marie Bochet facing a challenge from 19-year-old American Stephanie Jallen.

Jallen, who won super-G bronze in Sochi, said she was mentally ready: “In my mind I’m preparing for the super-G and the super-combined [on 7 March]. My mental game, which is what I’ve really been focusing on, has been consistent and honestly that comes first. Until you have your head in order you can’t really go onto anything else. So my mental game is really good.”

New Zealand’s Corey Peters upset the form book in the men’s downhill sitting, and in the super-G will face a deep field which includes the Japanese duo of Paralympic champion Akira Kano and reigning world champion Taiki Morii.

The women’s sitting will feature Germany’s five-time Paralympic champion Anna Schaffelhuber, once again facing Austrian Claudia Loesch.

Loesch, the world champion, was ecstatic after adding the downhill title to her collection in the first day of racing and will be keen to continue her form.

US skier Laurie Stephens, the Sochi 2014 bronze medallist, will also be in the medal hunt.

Panorama 2015, featuring over 100 athletes from 23 countries, will be streamed live at www.Panorama2015.com alongside live results. Viewers in the US can watch via US Paralympics website and in Canada at CBCSports.ca.

Official results will be posted at IPC Alpine Skiing’s calendar and results page.

Images from each day will be available at the IPC's Flickr page. Media wishing to receive high resolution images should contact Lucy.Dominy@paralympic.org.

Live updates and behind the scenes will be available at IPC Alpine Skiing's Facebook page, Twitter account and @Paralympics Instagram.