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Australia has competed in every Winter Paralympics. In 1976, the first Games, Australia's sole competitor was Ron Finneran, but he was not an official entrant. In 1980, Kyrra Grunnsund and Peter Rickards became the first official competitors, in alpine and cross-country skiing. The number of Australian athletes increased to three, five, five and six at the next four games, respectively, and all of the athletes were alpine skiers. The participation decreased to four in 1998 and climbed back up to six in 2002. Australia won its first Winter Paralympic medals in 1992, and has medalled at every games since then. All of the medals have been won in alpine skiing.
Lauren Woolstencroft is a Canadian alpine skier and electrical engineer. Born missing her left arm below the elbow as well as both legs below the knees, she began skiing at the age of 4 and began competitive skiing at the age of 14. She is an eight-time gold medal winner at the Paralympics. In 1998, she was nicknamed "Pudding" by her teammates, due to her sweet tooth. Her life and achievements were celebrated in the Toyota ad "Good Odds" that aired just after kickoff during Super Bowl LII in February 2018.
Lana Spreeman was a Canadian athlete, who competed in alpine skiing at five Winter Paralympic Games. In her career, she won 13 medals for Canada, making her Canada's most decorated Winter Paralympian until passed by cross country skier Brian McKeever, who earned his 14th medal at the 2018 Winter Paralympics.
Josh Dueck is a Canadian alpine skier. He won a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Paralympics in the men's slalom sit-ski event. On February 3, 2012, Josh became the first person to perform a backflip on snow in a Sit Ski.
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Melissa Perrine is a B2 classified visually impaired para-alpine skier from Australia. She has competed at the four Winter Paralympics from 2010 to 2022. At the 2015 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships, she won three gold, one silver and one bronze medals. At the 2018 Winter Paralympics, she won two bronze medals.
Mitchell Gourley is an Australian Paralympic alpine skier who competed for Australia in the downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom and super combined events at four Winter Paralympics - 2010 to 2022. He was Australian team co-captain with Joany Badenhorst at the 2018 Winter Paralympics. At the 2022 Winter Paralympics, he and Melissa Perrine carried the Australian flag in the opening ceremony. At the 2017 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Tarvisio, Italy he won the gold medal in the men's Super Combined Standing.
Karolina Wisniewska is a para-alpine standing skier. Born in Warsaw, she moved to Canada when she was 5 years old where she then took up skiing as a form of physical therapy for her cerebral palsy. Over the course of her skiing career, she won eight total Paralympic medals for skiing, and 18 medals at International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Cups. At the 2002 Winter Paralympics, she earned four medals, the most ever earned by a Canadian para-alpine skier at a single Games. Wisniewska retired from the sport for a second time in May 2012 following an injury in 2011 that resulted in her missing most of the 2011/2012 skiing season.
Victoria "Tori" Pendergast is an Australian F58 athletics shot put competitor and LW12.1 classified Para-alpine skier. When she competed at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, she became Australia's first female sit skier at the Winter Paralympics. She competed in two events, finishing seventh in women's slalom sit-ski and tenth in the women's giant slalom sit-ski. She also won a silver and a bronze medal in the slalom and super-G at the 2013 North America Cup, and a bronze medal in the giant slalom at the 2013 IPC World Cup in Thredbo.
Marianna "Muffy" Davis is an American politician, former Paralympic cyclist, and alpine skier who served as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives for the 26A district from 2018 to 2021.
Claudia Lösch is a successful Austrian Paralympian and alpine monoskier. She won gold medals in the slalom and super slalom at the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver. She also won a silver medal at the Alpine skiing at the 2014 Winter Paralympics – Women's super-G.
Anna Katharina Schaffelhuber is a German para-alpine skier. At the 2014 Winter Paralympics she won five gold medals, becoming only the second athlete to sweep the alpine skiing events.
Josef Meusburger is an Austrian para-alpine skier.
Peter Perner is an Austrian para-alpine skier. He represented Austria at five Winter Paralympics: 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988 and 1992.
Eugen Diethelm is a Swiss para-alpine skier. He represented Switzerland at the 1976 Winter Paralympics, at the 1980 Winter Paralympics and at the 1984 Winter Paralympics. In total, he won one gold medal, one silver medal and one bronze medal.
Lynda Chyzyk is a Canadian para-alpine skier. She represented Canada at the 1984 Winter Paralympics and at the 1988 Winter Paralympics. In total she won one gold medal, one silver medal and two bronze medals.
Cathy Gentile-Patti is an American para-alpine skier. She represented the United States in alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Paralympics held in Tignes and Albertville, France.
Mary Riddell is an American Paralympic alpine skier. In 2017, she was inducted in the U.S. Disabled Snow Sports Hall of Fame.
References
- ↑ "Gravity does the job for disabled skiers, learning control is the secret". Calgary Herald. February 8, 1973. Retrieved August 6, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Canada's Paralympic History 1976-1998". cccski.com. January 1, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ↑ "Winnipgers win handicapped gold". Winnipeg Free Press. Manitoba. February 26, 1976.
- ↑ "Remember when ...". Vancouver Sun. March 4, 2009.
Lorna Manzer won gold in the 5K II, although she was the only competitor in her class.
- ↑ "Paralympic Games 1976" (PDF). oepc.at. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
- ↑ "One-legged skier wins world bronze medal". Medicine Hat News. Alberta. March 12, 1982.
- ↑ "Points system". Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Montreal Gazette. February 6, 1980. Retrieved August 6, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Chance for gold lost at games for disabled". Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada: Whitehorse Daily Star. March 17, 1982. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
