Cato Zahl Pedersen (born 12 January 1959) is a Norwegian skier and multiple Paralympic gold medal winner. He has won a total of fourteen medals (thirteen gold, one silver) at the Paralympic Games, in both Winter and Summer Paralympics. [1] He has no arms, having lost both in a childhood accident. [2]
He competed in track and field athletics at the 1980 and 1984 Summer Paralympics, winning six gold medals. He took part in the Summer Games again in 2000, this time in sailing, but did not medal. At the Winter Paralympics, he competed in alpine skiing four times, in 1980, 1984, 1988 and 1994. At the 1980 and 1984 Winter Games he also took part in cross-country skiing, winning one gold in 1980. [3]
Pedersen took the athletes' oath on behalf of all competitors at the 1994 Winter Paralympics in Lillehammer. [4]
In 1994/1995, Pedersen took part in a successful four-person Norwegian skiing expedition to the South Pole. He dragged his 200-pound sledge the whole distance, using the prosthetic hook on his right hand to hold a single ski pole. [5] He has also climbed Cho Oyu, the 7th highest mountain, in 2005, and almost reached the top of Mount Everest in 2007.
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Lillehammer '94, were an international winter multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Having lost the bid for the 1992 Winter Olympics to Albertville in France, Lillehammer was awarded the 1994 Winter Games on 15 September 1988, two days before the 1988 Summer Olympics opening ceremonies at the 94th IOC Session in Seoul, South Korea. Due to the calendar changes made in 1986, this was the only time that the Winter Olympics took place two years after the previous Winter Games, and the first to be held in a different year from the Summer Olympics. This was also the first Winter Olympics to be held during the Commonwealth Games year. This was the second Olympic Games of any type hosted in Norway — the first being the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo — and the fourth Olympics overall to be held in a Nordic country, after the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, and the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. Lillehammer is the northernmost city ever to host the Olympic Games.
The 1994 Winter Paralympics, the sixth Paralympic Winter Games, were held in Lillehammer, Norway, from 10 to 19 March 1994. These Games marked the second time the Paralympic Winter Games were held in the same location as the Winter Olympics and with the first with the same Organizing Committee, a tradition that has continued through an agreement of cooperation between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Ice sledge hockey, which became an immediate crowd favorite, was added to the program.
The 1984 Winter Paralympic Games were the third Winter Paralympics. They were held from 14 to 20 January 1984 in Innsbruck, Austria. They were the first Winter Games organized by the International Co-ordinating Committee (ICC), which was formed on 15 March 1982, in Leysin, Switzerland. These Games were accessible for all athletes with cerebral palsy. Three sports were contested: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and ice sledge speed racing. The most successful athlete was German alpine skier Reinhild Moeller, who won 3 gold medals and 1 silver medal. The Games, then known as the 3rd World Winter Games for the Disabled, were fully sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Mexico sent a delegation to compete at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway from 12–27 February 1994. This was the fifth time Mexico had competed in the Winter Olympic Games. The Mexican delegation consisted of one alpine skier, Hubertus von Hohenlohe. He was entered into one event, the men's downhill, in which he finished in 48th place.
Luxembourg sent a delegation to compete at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway from 12–27 February 1994. The nation was making its fifth appearance at a Winter Olympic Games. The Luxembourgian delegation to Lillehammer consisted of a single athlete, alpine skier Marc Girardelli. His best performance in any event was fourth in the Super-G; he also finished fifth in the downhill and ninth in the combined. As well, he failed to finish the giant slalom, and was disqualified from the slalom.
Turkey sent a delegation to compete at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway from 12–27 February. Turkey was making its 11th appearance at the Winter Olympic Games. The delegation consisted of a single athlete, cross-country skier Mithat Yıldırım. In his only event, he finished in 87th place.
Fiji sent a delegation to compete at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway from 12–27 February 1994. This was Fiji's second time appearing at a Winter Olympic Games after their debut in the 1988 Winter Olympics. The country's sole representative was Rusiate Rogoyawa, in cross-country skiing. In the 10 kilometer classical he finished in 88th place.
The Netherlands participated in the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome, where it sent a delegation of five athletes. The country has participated in every subsequent edition of the Summer Paralympics. It made its Winter Paralympics début in 1984, and has taken part in every subsequent edition of the Games, except 2006. The Netherlands was the host country of the 1980 Summer Paralympics, in Arnhem.
Norway has participated in every edition of both the Summer and Winter Paralympics, except the second Summer Games in 1964. It was one of the seventeen countries to take part in the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome, where it sent a delegation of eleven athletes. Norway was the host country of both the 1980 Winter Paralympics, in Geilo, and the 1994 Winter Paralympics, in Lillehammer.
Slovakia as such made its Paralympic Games début at the 1994 Winter Paralympics in Lillehammer, following the break-up of Czechoslovakia, which had taken part in the Paralympics from 1972 to 1992. Slovakia has taken part in every edition of both the Summer and Winter Paralympics since then.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland competed at the 1994 Winter Paralympics held in Lillehammer, Norway. The team was known by it shortened name of Great Britain, for identification purposes. Twenty-three athletes, all of whom were men,. competed for Britain. The team won five medals at the Games, all bronze, and finished 21st in the medal table. Richard Burt won two medals in alpine skiing, as he had done in the 1992 Games. In addition to the medal performances the team had seven top ten finishes.
Richard Burt is a British former Paralympic skier who won medals at the 1992 Winter Paralympics and 1994 Winter Paralympics.
Following the success of the first ever 1976 Winter Paralympics in Örnsköldsvik four years earlier, Norway was selected to host the Paralympic Games in 1980.
The 1994 Winter Paralympics were held in Lillehammer, Norway. Australia sent six male skiers, who won three gold, two silver and four bronze medals. Australia, at the time, achieved their best ever performance at a Winter Paralympics, finishing 5th overall in the alpine skiing competition, 9th in the medal standings, and 11th in the total medal count out of 31 nations.
Tristan Mouric is a French Paralympic athlete who competed both at the Summer and Winter Paralympics. In total, he won seven gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal.
Norway competed at the 1988 Winter Paralympics held in Innsbruck, Austria. In total athletes representing Norway won 25 gold medals, 21 silver medals and 14 bronze medals and the country finished in 1st place in the medal table.
Norway competed at the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing, China which took place between 4–13 March 2022.
Elisabeth Dos-Kellner is an Austrian Paralympic alpine skier. She represented Austria in Para-alpine skiing at the 1988 Paralympic Winter Games, and 1994 Paralympic Winter Games. She won four medals: three gold medals and a silver medal.
Nadine Laurent is a French Paralympic alpine skier. She won a silver and a bronze medal at the 1992 Winter Paralympic Games in Albertville.
Renate Hjortland is a Norwegian Paralympic skier. She represented Norway in para-alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Paralympic Games in France, and 1994 Winter Paralympic Games in Norway. She won a total of four medals, including three silver medals and one bronze medal.