Romania at the 2014 Winter Paralympics

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Romania at the
2014 Winter Paralympics
Flag of Romania.svg
IPC code ROU
NPC National Paralympic Committee
in Sochi
Competitors 1 in 1 sport
Medals
Gold
0
Silver
0
Bronze
0
Total
0
Winter Paralympics appearances

Romania competed at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, held between 7–16 March 2014. This was Romania's second appearance at a Winter Paralympic Games. The Romanian delegation consisted of one alpine skier, Laura Valeanu, who finished fifth in the slalom and seventh in the giant slalom.

Romania sovereign state in Europe

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the southeast, Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, and Moldova to the east. It has a predominantly temperate-continental climate. With a total area of 238,397 square kilometres (92,046 sq mi), Romania is the 12th largest country and also the 7th most populous member state of the European Union, having almost 20 million inhabitants. Its capital and largest city is Bucharest, and other major urban areas include Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași, Constanța, Craiova, and Brașov.

2014 Winter Paralympics

The 2014 Winter Paralympics, the 11th Paralympic Winter Games, and also more generally known as the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, were an international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), held in Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia on 7–16 March 2014. 45 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) participated in the Games, which marked the first time Russia ever hosted the Paralympics. The Games featured 72 medal events in five sports, and saw the debut of snowboarding at the Winter Paralympics.

Sochi City in Krasnodar Krai, Russia

Sochi is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the Black Sea coast near the border between Georgia/Abkhazia and Russia. The Greater Sochi area, which includes territories and localities subordinated to Sochi proper, has a total area of 3,526 square kilometers (1,361 sq mi) and sprawls for 145 kilometers (90 mi) along the shores of the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains. The area of the city proper is 176.77 square kilometers (68.25 sq mi). According to the 2010 Census, the city had a permanent population of 343,334, up from 328,809 recorded in the 2002 Census, making it Russia's largest resort city. Being part of the Caucasian Riviera, it is one of the very few places in Russia with a subtropical climate, with warm to hot summers and mild winters.

Contents

Background

Romania first participated in Paralympic competition at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, Germany, but did not make another appearance until the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta. [1] Their only prior appearance at the Winter Paralympics was four years prior, at the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics. [1] Although the nation has won medals at the Summer Paralympics, they have yet to win a medal at the Winter Paralympics. [2] The 2014 Winter Paralympics were held from 7–16 March 2014, in Sochi, Russia; 45 countries and 547 athletes took part in the multi-sport event. [3] Laura Valeanu was selected as the only athletes in the Romanian delegation to Sochi. [2] She was chosen as the Romanian flag bearer for the parade of nations during the opening ceremony [4] and for the closing ceremony. [5]

1972 Summer Paralympics

The 1972 Summer Paralympics, the fourth edition of the Paralympic Games, were held in Heidelberg, West Germany, from August 2 to 11, 1972.

Heidelberg Place in Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Heidelberg is a university town in Baden-Württemberg situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. In the 2016 census, its population was 159,914, with roughly a quarter of its population being students.

1996 Summer Paralympics

The 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, USA were held from August 16 to 25. It was the first Paralympics to get mass media sponsorship, and had a budget of USD $81 million.

Disability classification

Every participant at the Paralympics has their disability grouped into one of five disability categories; amputation, the condition may be congenital or sustained through injury or illness; cerebral palsy; wheelchair athletes, there is often overlap between this and other categories; visual impairment, including blindness; and Les Autres, any physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other categories, for example dwarfism or multiple sclerosis. [6] [7] Each Paralympic sport then has its own classifications, dependent upon the specific physical demands of competition. Events are given a code, made of numbers and letters, describing the type of event and classification of the athletes competing. Events with "B" in the code are for athletes with visual impairment, codes LW1 to LW9 are for athletes who stand to compete and LW10 to LW12 are for athletes who compete sitting down. [8] Alpine skiing events grouped athletes into separate competitions for sitting, standing and visually impaired athletes. [9]

Amputation removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery

Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for such problems. A special case is that of congenital amputation, a congenital disorder, where fetal limbs have been cut off by constrictive bands. In some countries, amputation of the hands, feet or other body parts is or was used as a form of punishment for people who committed crimes. Amputation has also been used as a tactic in war and acts of terrorism; it may also occur as a war injury. In some cultures and religions, minor amputations or mutilations are considered a ritual accomplishment.

Cerebral palsy A group of disorders affecting the development of movement and posture, often accompanied by disturbances of sensation, perception, cognition, and behavior. It results from damage to the fetal or infant brain.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of permanent movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people. Often, symptoms include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sensation, vision, hearing, swallowing, and speaking. Often, babies with cerebral palsy do not roll over, sit, crawl or walk as early as other children of their age. Other symptoms include seizures and problems with thinking or reasoning, which each occur in about one third of people with CP. While symptoms may get more noticeable over the first few years of life, underlying problems do not worsen over time.

Wheelchair chair with wheels, used by people for whom walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, or disability

A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, or disability. Wheelchairs come in a wide variety of formats to meet the specific needs of their users. They may include specialized seating adaptions, individualized controls, and may be specific to particular activities, as seen with sports wheelchairs and beach wheelchairs. The most widely recognised distinction is between powered wheelchairs ("powerchairs"), where propulsion is provided by batteries and electric motors, and manually propelled wheelchairs, where the propulsive force is provided either by the wheelchair user/occupant pushing the wheelchair by hand ("self-propelled"), or by an attendant pushing from the rear.

Alpine skiing

Laura Valeanu was 24 years old at the time of the Sochi Paralympics. [10] She had previously represented Romania at the 2010 Winter Paralympics. [2] Valeanu was injured in a motorcycle accident in 2006, and her right leg was amputated below the knee. [11] She is classified as LW4, and therefore competes in a standing position. [12] An LW4 is explained by the International Paralympic Committee as "Similar to skiers in Sport Class LW 2, LW 4 skiers have an impairment in one leg only, but with less Activity Limitation. A typical example is a below knee amputation in one leg. They will use two skis during the race." [8] LW2's, on the other hand, use only one ski. [8] On 12 March, she competed in the standing slalom, and posted run times of one minute and five seconds and one minute and four seconds. [10] Her combined time of two minutes and 10 seconds saw her in fifth place, and a mere three seconds off the bronze medal time; the gold medal was won by Andrea Rothfuss of Germany. [12] On 16 March she took part in the standing giant slalom, and completed the course in times of 1 minute and 33 seconds and 1 minute and 20 seconds. [10] Her combined time was 2 minutes and 54 seconds, which put her in 7th place out of 15 competitors who finished both runs of the course; Marie Bochet of France won the gold medal. [13]

Romania at the 2010 Winter Paralympics

Romania sent a delegation to compete at the 2010 Winter Paralympics, in Vancouver, Canada. It fielded a single athlete, in alpine skiing. It did not win a medal.

International Paralympic Committee global governing body for the paralympic movement

The International Paralympic Committee is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nine sports. Founded on 22 September 1989 in Düsseldorf, Germany, its mission is "To enable Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence and inspire and excite the world". Furthermore, the IPC wants to promote the Paralympic values and to create sport opportunities for all persons with a disability, from beginner to elite level.

Andrea Rothfuss Disability skier from Germany

Andrea Rothfuss is a German para-alpine skier. She has a disability: she was born without a left hand. She skied at the 2011 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships. She was the first skier to finish in the standing women's downhill race and the slalom race. She was the second skier to finish in the Super Combined. She was the third skier to finish in the Super G race and the Giant Slalom Race.

AthleteEventRun 1Run 2Final/Total
TimeDiffRankTimeDiffRankTimeDiffRank
Laura Valeanu [10] Slalom, standing 1:05.42+6.0561:04.71+4.2342:10.13+10.285
Giant slalom, standing 1:33.96+8.98111:20.27+6.4182:54.23+15.397

See also

Romania at the Paralympics

Romania made its Paralympic Games début at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, sending a single representative to compete in table tennis. He was eliminated in his first match. The country was then absent from the Paralympics until the 1996 Summer Games, where it was again represented by a single competitor. Romania was represented again by just one athlete in 2000, and two in 2004, but sent a larger delegation of five athletes to the 2008 Summer Games. Its most recent participation in the Paralympics was also its first in the Winter Games, in 2010. Its sole representative was Laura Valeanu, who entered two events in alpine skiing.

Romania at the 2014 Winter Olympics

Romania competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, from 7 to 23 February 2014. A team of 24 athletes in seven sports was announced on 24 January 2014, representing a decline of five athletes from four years prior. The best results were two 17th places in bobsleigh.

Related Research Articles

Australia at the 1984 Winter Paralympics

The 1984 Winter Paralympics, then known as The Third World Winter Games for the Disabled, were held in Innsbruck, Austria. The games took place from the 15 until 21 January. Present at these games were 419 athletes from 21 countries, Spain and the Netherlands competing for the first time in the Winter Paralympics, competing in 107 events across 3 sports. The inclusion of Les Austres and Cerebral palsy impairment groups contributing to the distinct increase in athlete participation with the total number of athletes jumping from 229 at Geilo, Norway in 1980.

Australia at the 1992 Winter Paralympics

Australia competed at the 1992 Winter Paralympics in Tignes and Albertville in France. They were the first winter Paralympics to be celebrated concurrently with the Olympic Games. The official logo of the Games was designed by Jean-Michel Folon.It depicts a bird with broken wings, soaring high across the peak of a mountain. This was used to reflect the sporting abilities of the athletes at the Games. The official mascot, Alpy, designed by Vincent Thiebaut, represented the summit of the Grande Motte mountain in Tignes. Alpy was shown on a mono-ski to demonstrate its athleticism and the colours of white, green and blue were used to represent purity/snow, hope/nature and discipline/the lake. The 1992 Games were where Australia won their first winter medals at the Paralympics. Michael Milton won Australia's first gold with a win in the Men's Slalom LW2. Milton also won a silver medal in the Men's Super G LW2. At these Games, Australia was represented by 5 male athletes. Australia was placed 12th in the overall medal tally for the Winter Games winning a total of 4 medals: 1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze.

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.

Serbia at the 2014 Winter Paralympics

Serbia sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics, in Sochi, Russia from 7–16 March 2014. This was the nation's second appearance at a Winter Paralympic Games. The Serbian delegation consisted of a single athlete alpine skier Jugoslav Milošević, whose best finish was 29th in the standing men's giant slalom event.

Brazil at the 2014 Winter Paralympics

Brazil sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, held between 7–16 March 2014. This marked the country's first entry into the Winter Paralympic Games. Brazil sent two athletes, snowboarder Andre Pereira in Alpine skiing and Fernando Rocha in cross-country skiing. The country's best performance in any event was 15th, achieved by Rocha in the 15 km sitting competition.

Andorra at the 2014 Winter Paralympics Summary of Andorra at the 2014 Paralympics

Andorra sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, held between 7–16 March 2014. This marked the nation's fourth participation in a Winter Paralympics The delegation consisted of a single athlete, alpine skier Xavier Fernandez, who failed to post a finishing time in either of the two events he competed in.

Chile at the 2014 Winter Paralympics

Chile sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia from 7–16 March 2014. This was Chile's fourth participation in a Winter Paralympic Games. The Chilean delegation consisted of two alpine skiers, Jorge Migueles and Santiago Vega. Migueles finished 25th in the men's standing slalom and 20th in the men's standing giant slalom, while Vega finished 32nd in the regular slalom.

Mexico at the 2014 Winter Paralympics

Mexico competed at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, held between 7–16 March 2014. This was Mexico's third appearance at a Winter Paralympic Games. They were represented by a single athlete, alpine skier Arly Velásquez, who was participating in his second Paralympics. His best finish was 11th place in the sitting super-G.

Iran at the 2014 Winter Paralympics

Iran sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia from 7–16 March 2014. This was Iran's fifth time participating in a Winter Paralympic Games. The Iranian delegation consisted of a single alpine skier, Sadegh Kalhor, who had his leg amputated in a skiing accident as a teenager. In the standing slalom event, he finished in 20th place.

Uzbekistan at the 2014 Winter Paralympics

Uzbekistan sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, held between 7–16 March 2014. This marked the first time the nation competed at the Winter Paralympics. The delegation consisted of two athletes, Yevgeniy Slepov and Ramil Gayazov, both were competitors in Alpine skiing. Gayazov failed to post an event finish, while Slepov finished 32nd in the snowboard cross.

Armenia at the 2014 Winter Paralympics

Armenia sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia from 7–16 March 2014. This was the nation's fifth appearance at a Winter Paralympic Games. The delegation consisted of a single alpine skier, Mher Avanesyan, who lost both arms as a child after coming into contact with a high-voltage electrical wire. In the men's standing slalom he came in 34th place out of 35 competitors who finished the race, and he failed to finish the giant slalom.

Belgium at the 2014 Winter Paralympics

Belgium sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, held between 7–16 March 2014. This was Belgium's eighth time participating in the Winter Paralympic Games. The Belgian delegation consisted of two athletes, Jasper Balcaen in alpine skiing, and Denis Colle, a snowboarder, which was considered a discipline of alpine skiing for these Paralympics. Their best performance in any event was 6th by Colle in the snowboard cross.

Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2014 Winter Paralympics

Bosnia and Herzegovina sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia from 7–16 March 2014. This was the second time the country had participated in a Winter Paralympic Games. The delegation consisted of two alpine skiers, Senad Turkovic and Ilma Kazazic. Neither of the two finished any of their events.

Denmark at the 2014 Winter Paralympics

Denmark sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia from 7–16 March 2014. This was Denmark's tenth appearance at a Winter Paralympic Games. The Danish delegation to Sochi consisted of two alpine skiers, Ulrik Nyvold and Line Damgaard. Nyvold failed to finish either of his events, while Damgaard placed 12th in the women's standing slalom and 15th in the women's standing giant slalom.

Greece at the 2014 Winter Paralympics

Greece sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia from 7–16 March 2014. This was Greece's third appearance at a Winter Paralympic Games. Their only athlete was alpine skier Efthymios Kalaras. He suffered a spinal cord injury two decades before these Paralympics, and was a returning Paralympic silver medalist from the 2004 Summer Paralympics in the discus throw. He finished 22nd in the sitting giant slalom, nearly a minute behind the gold medal time.

Iceland at the 2014 Winter Paralympics

Iceland sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia from 7–16 March 2014. This was Iceland's third time participating at a Winter Paralympic Games. The Icelandic delegation consisted of two alpine skiers, Erna Friðriksdóttir and Jóhann Þór Hólmgrímsson. Jóhann finished 23rd in the men's sitting giant slalom, while Erna finished 10th in the women's sitting slalom and 9th in the women's sitting giant slalom.

Slovenia at the 2014 Winter Paralympics

Slovenia sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, held between 7–16 March 2014. This was the nation's fourth appearance in the Winter Paralympic Games The Slovenian delegation consisted of a single athlete, the alpine skier Gal Jakic, who failed to finish either of his two events.

Turkey at the 2014 Winter Paralympics

Turkey sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, held between 7–16 March 2014. This marked the nation's first participation in the Winter Paralympic Games. Turkey sent two athletes; Mehmet Çekiç and Hilmi Esat Bayindirli; both were competitors in alpine skiing. The nation's best finish in any event was 18th, by Bayindirli in the men's sitting giant slalom.

New Zealand at the 2014 Winter Paralympics

New Zealand sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, held between 7–16 March 2014. The country continued its streak of competing in every Winter Paralympics since 1984. New Zealand's delegation consisted of three competitors in alpine skiing, one of whom, Corey Peters, won a silver medal in the giant slalom. With one silver medal, the country tied for 16th on the medal table for these Paralympics.

Netherlands at the 2014 Winter Paralympics

The Netherlands sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, held between 7–16 March 2014. The Netherlands delegation consisted of seven competitors, all of which were competing in sports under the alpine skiing banner. Bibian Mentel won the nation's only medal at these Paralympics, a gold in women's snowboard cross. With one gold medal, the Netherlands ranked a joint 14th place on the medal table with Switzerland.

References

  1. 1 2 "Romania". International Paralympic Committee . Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 "Romania: Seven facts on the Sochi 2014 Paralympics". International Paralympic Committee. 19 January 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  3. ↑ "Sochi 2014 Paralympics". International Paralympic Committee . Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  4. ↑ "Sochi 2014 Opening Ceremony flag bearers". International Paralympic Committee. 7 March 2014. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "Sochi 2014 Closing Ceremony flag bearers". International Paralympic Committee. 16 March 2014. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "Paralympics categories explained". ABC. 3 September 2008. Archived from the original on 12 September 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  7. ↑ "Making sense of the categories". BBC Sport. 6 October 2000. Archived from the original on 28 May 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 "Classification". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  9. ↑ "Sochi Winter Paralympics: Guide to the sports". BBC Online. 18 February 2014. Archived from the original on 19 December 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Laura VALEANU – Alpine Skiing – Romania". Organizing Committee of the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games of 2014 in Sochi. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  11. ↑ "Laura Valeanu – Athlete Biography". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  12. 1 2 "Women's Slalom 2nd Run – Standing – Alpine Skiing". Organizing Committee of the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games of 2014 in Sochi. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  13. ↑ "Women's Giant Slalom 2nd Run – Standing – Alpine Skiing". Organizing Committee of the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games of 2014 in Sochi. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
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