Solleftea Ready for 1st Paralympic Winter World Cup

29 Jan 2009 By IPC

On 3 February, the first Paralympic Winter World Cup will take place in Solleftea, Sweden, bringing together over 200 athletes representing 26 countries from around the world.

The Paralympic Winter World Cup will be an exciting event for elite winter sport athletes with a disability and one of the biggest international biannual multi-sport competitions outside of the Paralympic Winter Games.

Sanctioned by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), four Paralympic Winter sports (Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing and Ice Sledge Hockey) will be showcased over a week of competition.

The event will provide a platform for Paralympic athletes from all over the world to compete at the highest level and represent their country/territory. The Paralympic Winter World Cup will play a critical role in providing exciting competitions between Paralympic Winter Games.

Organized by the local Organizing Committee and the National Paralympic Committee of Sweden, the five day event will kick off next Tuesday with a colourful Opening Ceremony. Patron of the event will be HRH Queen Silvia of Sweden.

Within the framework of the Paralympic Winter World Cup, the sports of Alpine Skiing as well as Biathlon and Cross-Country Skiing will use the event as part of their European as well as World Cup series respectively. The Ice Sledge Hockey Tournament will see Poland, Korea and Sweden playing against each other in preparation for the World Championships.

The Solleftea ski resort is located in the Vaesternorrland County of central Sweden. The first Solleftea Winter Games were held in 1995, with successive Games continuing every two years thereafter. The 2009 IPC Paralympic Winter World Cup essentially replaces the Solleftea Winter Games.