FIS Para Snow Sports

Para Alpine Skiing is practiced worldwide and features six events: downhill, super-G, alpine combined, slalom, giant slalom and parallel. Athletes competing in Para Alpine Skiing have either a physical or vision impairment. Para Nordic features the two sports Para Cross-Country Skiing and Para Biathlon. Athletes in Para Cross-Country Skiing compete in races ranging from 5 – 20km in Classical and Free skiing technique. Athletes competing in Para Biathlon, race in events ranging from 7.5 - 12.5km. Depending on the distance, the races include 2 or 4 shooting rounds, where the athletes must hit five targets located at a distance of 10m. Athletes with either a physical or vision impairment can enter the sport of Para Nordic. Athletes compete in three categories based on their functional ability, and factors system allows athletes with different impairments to compete against each other. Skiers with vision impairment are guided through the course by sighted guides using signals to indicate the course to follow. Some athletes use equipment that is adapted to their needs including single ski, sit-ski or orthopaedic aids. Para Snowboard is the newest winter Paralympic sport and features several events: banked slalom, dual banked slalom, snowboard cross and team events. Athletes competing in Para snowboard have a physical impairment and compete in three categories: Upper Limb, Lower Limb 1 and Lower Limb 2. History

Following the end of the Second World War, there was a systematic development of ski sport for persons with an impairment as injured ex-servicemen returned to the sport they loved. In 1948, the first courses were offered. The first documented Championships for skiers with an impairment were held in Badgastein, Austria, in 1948 with 17 athletes taking part. Since 1950, events have been held around the world. The introduction of sit-ski allowed people in wheelchairs (paraplegics and double above-the-knee amputees) to begin to ski and race. The first Paralympic Winter Games took place in Örnsköldsvik in Sweden in 1976 and featured two alpine disciplines - slalom and giant slalom. Downhill was added to the Paralympic programme in 1984 in Innsbruck, Austria, and super-G was added in 1994 at Lillehammer, Norway. Sit-skiing was introduced as a demonstration sport at the Innsbruck 1984 Paralympics and became a medal event at the Nagano 1998 Paralympic Games

Along with Para Alpine also Para Cross-Country Skiing first appeared at the 1976 Winter Paralympic Games in Örnsköldvski, Sweden. Para Biathlon was introduced in Innsbruck in 1988 for athletes with a physical impairment, and in 1992, athletes with a vision impairment also became eligible to compete. Para Snowboard was first introduced at the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Winter Games as an event under Para Alpine Skiing and has now been a standalone discipline for 2018 and 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.