PARALYMPIC AND PARA SPORTS NEWS

Netherlands name seven athletes for Sochi 2014 Paralympics
Four of the seven Dutch athletes headed to Sochi will compete in snowboard, a discipline set to make its Paralympic debut.

8 for 8: USA preview
The Americans enter the Sochi 2014 Paralympic ice sledge hockey competition as one of the teams favoured to make the podium.

Hug and Guilhermina to headline first IPC Athletics Grand Prix of 2014
A number of World and Paralympic champions including Brazil’s Terezinha Guilhermina and Switzerland’s Marcel Hug will be amongst the 490 athletes taking part in the first IPC Athletics Grand Prix of the season which starts on Saturday (22 February) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Norway’s Mariann Marthinsen on track for gold
Nordic skier Mariann Marthinsen is aiming to follow on from fellow national greats at Sochi 2014 by winning her first Paralympic gold at her fifth winter and summer Games, to continue her current stunning form in cross-country skiing.

Austria announce 13 athletes for Sochi 2014 Paralympics
The Austrians will be led by standing skiers Matthias Lanzinger and Markus Salcher, along with sit skier Claudia Loesch.

NBC announces Sochi 2014 Paralympics schedule
Find out when you can watch your favourite sports and American athletes on NBC and NBCSN from 7-16 March.

Sochi 2014 will be ‘shop window’ for wheelchair curling
British Curling are hoping the exposure from the Sochi 2014 Paralympics help further develop their programme.

NBC to feature ‘The Jessica Long Story’
An NBC Olympics production crew accompanied the American Paralympic champion to Russia to meet her birth family.

Italy: 10 facts on the Sochi 2014 Paralympics
With a strong contingent of alpine skiers headed to Sochi, can Italy add to their total of 61 medals at the Paralympic Winter Games?

Sochi 2014: 14 athletes to follow on Twitter
With the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games fast approaching, here’s a list of the top 14 athletes to follow on Twitter.