PARALYMPIC AND PARA SPORTS NEWS

Canadaian athletes and sports builders honoured
Special ceremony sees London 2012 Paralympians recognised with Queen's Diamond Jubilee medals

Natalia Dannenberg: The people’s choice of top 50 Paralympic moments
We recently asked our fans on Facebook, Twitter and G+ to let us know what your favourite moments of the year were and here they are.

No. 10: London 2012 climaxes in incredible Closing Ceremony
The London 2012 Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony saw Coldplay, one of Britain’s best-selling music acts, joined by global superstars Rihanna and Jay-Z in a spectacular celebration of the achievements of Paralympic athletes and an amazing summer of sport.

No. 11: Jonnie Peacock raises bar in 100m T44
When Great Britain’s Jonnie Peacock smashed the world record in the 100m T44 at the US Paralympic Track & Field Trials, he raised the bar for the race that everyone will remember.

No. 12: USA's 'Armless Archer' becomes London icon
American Matt Stutzman won silver in archery at London 2012, but he became one of London’s biggest inspirations and images of him shooting without arms have become iconic of London.

Natalia Dannenberg: A digital revolution
London 2012 saw a seismic shift in the way the media covered Paralympic sport. The IPC’s resident digital expert, Natalia Dannenberg, blogs about how media coverage changed.

The post-London 2012 Games edition of the IPC’s magazine, The Paralympian, is a great souvenir from the best Games ever.
New London 2012 souvenir edition of The Paralympian online

London to host 2017 IPC Athletics Worlds
Following the amazing success of the London 2012 Paralympics, the city has now won the right to host the 2017 IPC Athletics World Championships.

No. 13: Channel 4 creates a blueprint for commercial Paralympic broadcasting
With an innovative marketing campaign and top-class Paralympic programming, Channel 4 ensured record audiences and a change in perceptions towards people with an impairment

UK Sport announces record investment in elite Paralympic sport
Ahead of Rio 2016, £70.2 million will be invested in elite Paralympic sport, an overall increase of 43 per cent

IPC Ice Sledge Hockey calls for bids for 2013 Paralympic Qualification Tournament
IPC Ice Sledge Hockey has announced bidding for the 2013 Paralympic Winter Games Qualification Tournament

Marieke Vervoort wins Belgian Paralympic Athlete of Year Award
Belgian track athlete Marieke Vervoort picked up her country's most prestigious sports award after winning gold and silver in London's Olympic Stadium

No. 14: Russia struggle through tragic loss to win
Despite their coach passing away during the tournament, the Russian Wheelchair Curling team went on to win the 2012 World Championships, making it the No. 14 moment of the year.
Cody receives Sport Leadership Award
IPC Governing Board Member Ann Cody received the Georg M Steinbrenner III Sport Leadership Award from the United States Olympic Foundation for her contributions to the Paralympic Movement.

Russia solidifies lead in biathlon at world cup
Russian athletes topped the rankings in four out of six categories to solidify their overall lead in the 2012-13 IPC Nordic Skiing World Cup.

No. 15: Hawking calls for new age of enlightenment
The London 2012 Opening Ceremony set the tone for the Paralympics, in which audiences experienced and appreciated Paralympic sport for the first time.
USA dominate first Alpine Skiing NorAm Cup
The home team dominated the first event of the 2012-13 IPC Alpine Skiing NorAm Cup in Colorado, USA, with strong performances also from New Zealand’s Adam Hall and Canada’s Viviane Forest.

BBC Sports Personality: Martine Wright wins Helen Rollason Award
After losing her legs in the 7/7 bombings in 2005, Martine Wright got into sitting volleyball and was part of the British sitting volleyball team at the London 2012 Paralympics.

No. 16: Israeli war veteran turned national hero
Noam Gershony survived an Israeli army helicopter crash just six years ago, and in 2012, he won Paralympic gold in wheelchair tennis.

No. 17: Emotions run high as Ellie excels
When Ellie Simmonds turned in the last 50m of the 400m freestyle S6 she was just eight hundredths of a second ahead of USA’s Victoria Arlen. But she pushed on to the end to win gold and set a new world record.