Youth Circuit event wraps up in Rogla

Those participating in the second event of the IPC European Para Snow Sport Youth Circuit took part in two training days and one competition day in Rogla, Slovenia 03 Apr 2013

The IPC European Para Snow Sport Youth Circuit aims to introduce youngsters to winter sports and to train professionally already skilled youngsters.

ⒸIPC

By IPC

The primary object of the initiative is to introduce youngsters to winter sports and to provide professional training to already skilled youngsters on their way to a first competition.

The second stop on the IPC European Para Snow Sport Youth Circuit drew nearly 50 youngsters with an impairment from five different countries to the slopes of Rogla, Slovenia.

The IPC European Para Snow Sport Youth Circuit, funded by the European Union, consists of five competition camps in alpine skiing, nordic skiing and snowboarding for youngsters with an impairment.

The event in Rogla, which ran from 28 March - 1 April, included two days of training and one day of competition, as four different disciplines were contested on the men’s side and two on the women’s side.

The men’s giant slalom standing competition was the most populated event, and it was won by Spain’s Pol Aguilar Diaz in a time of 1:07.95, closely followed by his compatriot, Alberto Avila, in 1:13.60.

Germany’s Bjoern Behnke won the men’s giant slalom sitting in 1:05.04. The Netherlands’ Niels de Langen came second in 1:07.24 and Germany’s Gabriel Scheib finished third in 1:17.13.

Marcel Sole of Spain was victorious in the men’s giant slalom visually impaired category in a time of 1:06.19, followed by Slovakia’s Luka Keber in 1:15.89.

Spain’s Barbara Perez finished first in the women’s giant slalom standing in 1:09.02, while the Netherlands’ Kim Monsieur came second in 1:09.44 and Germany’s Anngret Schneider came third in 1:13.20.

In the women’s giant slalom sitting event, Germany’s Pauline Schramm took first place in 1:23.86.

A media workshop for the athletes was held in conjunction with the event, as well as a sports psychology seminar for coaches.

Organised by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) with funding from the European Union, Atos and the Foundation for Global Sports Development, athletes ages 10-17 are learning and practicing the skills required to take part in alpine skiing, nordic skiing and snowboard.

The primary object of the initiative is to introduce youngsters to winter sports and to provide professional training to already skilled youngsters on their way to a first competition.

The event in Rogla, supported by the IPC’s Agitos Foundation, is part of an 18-month circuit that began in La Molina, Spain in January and will continue through March 2014.

For complete results from the IPC European Para Snow Sport Youth Circuit and a schedule of events, please visit www.youth-snow-circuit.eu.