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La Molina to host 2015 snowboard Worlds
Spanish resort will play host to 80 athletes from 20 countries in the biggest gathering of para-snowboarders since Sochi 2014 25 Aug 2014
Bibian Mentel-Spee of the Netherlands competes during the Women's Para Snowboard Cross Standing on day seven of the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games
“At Sochi, millions of people from around the world saw just how thrilling para-snowboard is and La Molina is an excellent place for fans to continue following the sport.
IPC Alpine Skiing, the global governing body of para-snowboard, has today (Monday 25 August) announced that La Molina, Spain, will host the 2015 IPC Para-Snowboard World Championships from 23-28 February.
At the same time, a dedicated event website was launched at www.lamolina2015.com.
Following the successful debut of the sport at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, around 80 athletes from 20 countries will gather in the Pyrenees mountains in an event which will include a classification for riders with upper-limb impairments.
Dimitrije Lazarovksi, Head of IPC Snow Sports, said:
“I am delighted that La Molina will host the 2015 World Championships. They have been a trusted organiser of snowsport events in the past including the 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships. They have helped enormously towards developing the sport on an international stage.
“At Sochi, millions of people from around the world saw just how thrilling para-snowboard is and La Molina is an excellent place for fans to continue following the sport.
“We are also pleased to be including races for upper-limb impaired riders, further expanding the sport ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.”
Toni Sanmartí, Director of the La Molina resort, said:
“On behalf of La Molina of the FGC Group, we are very proud to host the first IPC Para-Snowboard World Championships.
“During recent years, La Molina has been an important venue for sports for people who have mobility issues or visual or physical impairments. We believe in the social and sporting function that these events have to offer, and for this reason we are very happy to host them.
“Last Winter we hosted La Molina’s first para-snowboard World Cup, and now we have the opportunity to organise the most important competition after the Paralympic Games, the World Championships.
“We are grateful to the IPC for their continued support in La Molina. This event will be a new and important challenge for us”.
At Sochi 2014, the Netherlands’ Bibian Mentel Spee took the first ever women’s Paralympic gold ahead of France’s Cecile Cervellon Hernandez-Ep and American Amy Purdy, who recently shot to fame in the US by coming second on popular TV show Dancing With the Stars.
The USA’s Evan Strong won the men’s event alongside teammates Mike Shea and Keith Gabel, in second and third respectively.
At La Molina 2015, the sport is also including a classification for athletes with upper limb-impairments, alongside the existing races for lower-limb impaired riders.
The programme for the 2015 IPC Para-Snowboard World Championships will be announced shortly.
Related Images
Amy Purdy, USA, going over a hill in the snowboard cross course in Rosa Khutor.
The USA's Evan Strong is the No. 1-ranked men's snowboarder in the world.
