Paralympic cross-country skiing is an adaptation of cross-country skiing for athletes with disabilities. Paralympic cross-country skiing is one of two Nordic skiing disciplines in the Winter Paralympic Games; the other is biathlon. Competition is governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Paralympic Nordic skiing is a Winter Paralympics sport consisting of biathlon and cross-country skiing. The sport is governed by the International Paralympic Committee, with its subcommittee for Nordic skiing known as World Para Nordic Skiing.
The Winter Paralympic Games is an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete in snow and ice sports. This includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and cerebral palsy. The Winter Paralympic Games are held every four years directly following the Winter Olympic Games. The Winter Paralympics are also hosted by the city that hosted the Winter Olympics. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) oversees the Winter Paralympics. Medals are awarded in each event: with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, following the tradition that the Olympic Games started in 1904.
Oleg Ponomarev is a Russian Paralympic Nordic skier who competed in cross-country skiing and biathlon at the 2014 Winter Paralympics, in Sochi. He won a bronze medal in the 1 km sprint for visually impaired athletes.
The 2011 IPC Biathlon and Cross-Country Skiing World Championships took place 2–11 April 2011 in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. IPC stands for International Paralympic Committee. This was the first time these championships were hosted in Russia, and the first time the championships were hosted in the same city as the IBU Biathlon World Championships which was held in Khanty-Mansiysk from March 3 to March 13, 2011.
LW12 is a para-Alpine and para-Nordic sit skiing sport class defined by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). An LW12 skier needs to meet a minimum of one of several conditions including a single below knee but above ankle amputation, monoplegia that exhibits similar to below knee amputation, legs of different length where there is at least a 7 centimetres difference, combined muscle strength in the lower extremities less than 71. For international competitions, classification is done through IPC Alpine Skiing or IPC Nordic Skiing. For sub-international competitions, classification is done by a national federation such as Alpine Canada. For para-Alpine, this class is subdivided into two subclasses.: LW12.1 and LW12.2. A new sit-skier competitor with only national classification will compete as LW12.2 in international competitions until they have been internationally classified.
LW11 is a para-Alpine and para-Nordic sit skiing sport class, a classification defined by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC for people with paralysis in the lower extremities and people with cerebral palsy that affects the lower half of the body. Outside of skiing, the competitor in this class is unable to walk. For international competitions, classification is done through IPC Alpine Skiing or IPC Nordic Skiing. For sub-international competitions, classification is done by a national federation such as Alpine Canada.
LW10 is a para-Alpine and para-Nordic sit-skiing classification for skiers who cannot sit up without support. For international skiing competitions, classification is conducted by International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Alpine Skiing and IPC Nordic Skiing, while national federations such as Alpine Canada handle classification for domestic competitions.
LW4 is a para-Alpine and para-Nordic standing skiing sport class defined by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) for skiers who may have a disability in one lower extremity, which may be a result of a leg amputation below the knee, knee arthrodesis or a hip arthrodesis. For international skiing competitions, classification is done through IPC Alpine Skiing or IPC Nordic Skiing. A national federation such as Alpine Canada handles classification for domestic competitions.
LW5/7 is a standing para-Alpine and para-Nordic skiing classification for skiers with upper extremity issues in both limbs that may include double amputation of both arms and hands or dysmelia of the upper limbs. The class has three subclasses defined by the location of the disability on the upper extremities. International classification is done by IPC Alpine Skiing and IPC Nordic Skiing. On the national level, classification is handled by national sports federation such as Cross-Country Canada.
LW6/8 is a para-Alpine and para-Nordic standing skiing sport class, a classification defined by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) for people with an upper extremity issue who have paralysis, motor paresis affecting one arm, a single upper arm amputation or CP8 classified cerebral palsy. LW6/8 skiers use two skis and one pole in both para-Alpine and para-Nordic skiing.
Anatolii Kovalevskyi is a Ukrainian male visually impaired cross-country skier and biathlete. He represented Ukraine at the 2014 Winter Paralympics and competed in the men's cross-country skiing and biathlon events. Anatolii Kovalevskyi also went onto represent Ukraine at the 2018 Winter Paralympics and secured a bronze medal in the men's 7.5km visually impaired biathlon event.
Mikhalina Anatolyevna Lysova is a Russian visually impaired cross-country skier and biathlete. She has represented Russia at the Paralympics in 2010 and in 2014 competing in the cross-country skiing and biathlon events. She progressed to become one of the most consistent Paralympics Nordic skiers of Russia as she claimed 16 medals in her Paralympic career including 6 gold medals. She was also the recipient of the Order ''For Merit to the Fatherland'' and Order of Friendship awards.
Iuliia Budaleeva also known as Iuliia Chokhlaeva is a Russian female visually impaired cross-country skier and biathlete. She represented Russia at the 2014 Winter Paralympics and was successful in her maiden Paralympic competition, claiming four medals including a gold medal in the biathlon event. Iuliia Budaleeva was awarded the Order of Friendship by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin for her outstanding performance at the 2014 Winter Paralympics.
Stanislav Chokhlaev is a Russian male visually impaired cross-country skier and biathlete. He represented Russia at the 2014 Winter Paralympics and was successful in his maiden Paralympic competition, claiming three medals including 2 silver medals in the cross-country skiing event. In 2017, he was awarded the Return to Life Prize by the Russian Paralympic Committee.
Oksana Shyshkova is a Ukrainian visually impaired cross-country skier and biathlete. She has competed at the Winter Paralympics thrice in 2010, 2014 and 2018. Oksana Shyshkova claimed 6 medals at the 2017 IPC World Championships, which is her notable achievement in the sport of Nordic skiing.
Yury Holub is a Belarusian male visually impaired cross-country skier and biathlete. He made his Paralympic debut during the 2018 Winter Paralympics and went onto claim 3 medals so far in his maiden Paralympic appearance including a gold medal. He claimed his first Paralympic gold medal after winning the men's 12.5km visually impaired biathlon event during the 2018 Winter Paralympics.
Clara Klug is a German visually impaired cross-country skier and biathlete. She made her Paralympic debut at the 2018 Winter Paralympics for Germany. Klug claimed a bronze medal in the women's 10km visually impaired biathlon event as a part of the 2018 Winter Paralympics.
Iurii Utkin is a Ukrainian visually impaired cross-country skier and biathlete. He has represented Ukraine at the Paralympics in 2010, 2014 and 2018.
Anthony Chalençon is a French male visually impaired cross-country skier and biathlete who also formerly competed as an alpine skier. He switched from alpine skiing to take up Paralympic Nordic skiing after a disastrous start to his Paralympic career as an alpine skier in 2010. Anthony Chalençon clinched his first Paralympic medals after clinching a bronze medal in the 15km visually impaired biathlon event and gold in the Open Relay during the 2018 Winter Paralympics.
