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.
Ukraine first participated at the Olympic Games as an independent nation in 1994, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games and Winter Olympic Games since then. The first athlete who won the gold medal for the yellow-blues was Oksana Baiul.
Brazil made its Paralympic Games début at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, sending representatives to compete in track and field, archery, swimming and wheelchair basketball. The country has competed in every edition of the Summer Paralympics since.
Absent at the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome, Japan made its Paralympic début by hosting the 1964 Games in Tokyo. The country has participated in every subsequent edition of the Summer Paralympics, and in every edition of the Winter Paralympics since the first in 1976. It has hosted the Paralympic Games twice, with Tokyo hosting the 1964 Summer Games, and Nagano the 1998 Winter Paralympics.The next Summer Paralympics in 2020 will be held again in Tokyo. Japan is represented by the Japan Paralympic Committee.
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.
Switzerland made its Paralympic Games début at the inaugural Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960, and has participated in every edition of the Summer Paralympics. It also took part in the inaugural Winter Paralympics in 1976 in Örnsköldsvik, and has competed in every edition of the Winter Games.
Vitaliy Volodymyrovych Lukyanenko is a Ukrainian biathlete, cross-country skier and Paralympian.
Olena Hrachykivna Akopyan is a Paralympic swimmer from Ukraine competing mainly in category S5 events. She is also one of the rare sportswomen to have competed in both the summer and winter Paralympics having competed in the biathlon and cross-country skiing in the winter Paralympics. The majority of Akopyan's Paralympic success came in the pool where she won thirteen of her fifteen medals including her only gold medal.
Ukraine competed at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, held between 7–16 March 2014.
Lyudmyla Volodymyrivna Pavlenko is a Ukrainian Paralympic cross-country skier and biathlete, with cerebral palsy. She won a gold and bronze medal, at the 2014 Winter Paralympics.
Ukraine competed at the 2002 Winter Paralympics in Salt Lake City, United States. 10 competitors from Ukraine won 12 medals, 6 silver and 6 bronze, and finished 18th in the medal table.
Iuliia Batenkova-Bauman also known as Julia Batenkova is a Ukrainian Nordic skier who competes in cross-country skiing and biathlon. She has competed in three successive Winter Paralympics, where she has won 13 silver and bronze medals.
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.
Oksana Shyshkova is a Ukrainian female 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.
Ukraine competed at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang County, Gangwon Province, South Korea, from 9 to 18 March 2018. The country was represented by 22 athletes, and 9 assistants for athletes with visual impairments. Of the six paralympic sports, Ukraine competed in biathlon, skiing and snowboarding.
Liudmyla Liashenko is a Ukrainian female cross-country skier and biathlete. She has competed at the Paralympics twice in 2014 and 2018.
Ihor Reptyukh is a Ukrainian male cross-country skier and biathlete. He has represented Ukraine at the Paralympics in 2014 and 2018 claiming 4 medals in his Paralympic career including a gold medal which he claimed during the 2018 Winter Paralympics.
Taras Rad is a Ukrainian amputated male cross-country skier and biathlete. He made his Paralympic debut at the age of 18 for Ukraine at the 2018 Winter Paralympics competing in Cross-country skiing and Biathlon events. He also went onto claim his first Paralympic medal during the 2018 Winter Paralympics after clinching the gold medal in the men's 12.5km sitting biathlon event.
Iurii Utkin is a Ukrainian visually impaired cross-country skier and biathlete. He has represented Ukraine at the Paralympics in 2010, 2014 and 2018.
