Paralympic Awards Winners 2009

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is pleased to announce the winners of the Paralympic Awards 2009, proudly partnered by IPC's Gold Patron Allianz, honouring those who contribute directly to the Paralympic Games and the Paralympic Movement.

The winners were selected by three Awards Committees, composed of members of the Paralympic Movement and specialists in the relevant areas. All award recipients will be presented with a handmade trophy, designed and crafted by Italian design company G.D.E. Bertoni, at a Gala Dinner during the 2009 IPC General Assembly, to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 22 November.

The Paralympic Sport Awards 2009 were awarded in five categories, based on performance at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games:

Best Male Athlete: Matthew Cowdrey (AUS), Swimming

Best Female Athlete: Chantal Petitclerc (CAN), Athletics

Best Team Performance: Australian Men's Wheelchair Basketball Team

Best Games Debut: Sophie Pascoe (NZL), Swimming

Exemplary Games Official: WANG Xinxian (CHN), Chef de Mission

The Paralympic Media Awards 2009 honour members of the media who presented the highest quality and most dynamic coverage of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, in four categories:

Broadcast: ABC TV (AUS)

Written (Print/Online): The Sunday Telegraph (GBR)

Radio: BBC Radio (GBR)

Photo: Damir Sencar (CRO)

The Paralympic Scientific Award 2009 recognized one outstanding contributor (academic or scientific) for research in the field of sport for persons with a disability.

Paralympic Scientific Award 2009: Gudrun Doll-Tepper (GER)

For more information about the Paralympic Awards and a brief profile of each Award winner, please visit the IPC website at www.paralympic.org.

__________

Notes to the Editor:

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, and serves as the International Federation for nine sports, for which it supervises and co-ordinates the World Championships and other competitions. The IPC is committed to enabling Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence and to developing sport opportunities for all persons with a disability from the beginner to elite level. In addition, the IPC aims to promote the Paralympic values, which include courage, determination, inspiration and equality.

Founded on 22 September 1989, the IPC is an international non-profit organization formed and run by 162 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) from five regions and four disability specific international sports federations (IOSDs). The IPC Headquarters and its management team are located in Bonn, Germany.

For further information, please contact Steffi Klein, IPC Media and Communications Senior Manager on e-mail: steffi.klein@paralympic.org or go to www.paralympic.org or www.paralympicsport.tv.