PARALYMPIC AND PARA SPORTS NEWS
![Male swimmer celebrates on pool deck](/sites/default/files/images/170307170505465_Arnost%2BPetracek.jpg)
Arnost Petracek voted Czech Para athlete of the year
The swimmer took home his nation’s lone gold medal from Rio 2016.
![Ibrahim Al-Hussein is a refugee swimmer](/sites/default/files/images/170307164542090_IPC-Nikos_Karanikolas-5910.jpg)
Ibrahim Al-Hussein wins prestigious USSA award
The Syrian refugee swimmer competed for the Independent Paralympic Athletes Team at Rio 2016.
Roland Garros is top of the list for Griffioen
The Dutch player’s main target for 2017 is not to remain as world No.1 but to win more Grand Slams.
![IPC Governing Board 2013](/sites/default/files/images/131124190518059_GB.jpg)
Nominations process opens for IPC Governing Board elections
The successor to IPC President Sir Philip Craven will be elected this September in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
![Robin Cuche of Switzerland competes in the Men's Slalom 2nd Run - Standing at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.](/sites/default/files/images/151007092939586_cuche.jpg)
Switzerland’s Cuche focused on Paralympic prize
Robin Cuche won his first World Championships medal in January, surprising himself, and is working towards PyeongChang 2018.
![A woman in wheelchair dances with her stand-up partner who is jumping](/sites/default/files/images/161030185058102_Slovakia.jpg)
New dance sport classification, sport rules introduced
A course for international classifiers is also being offered by World Para Dance Sport.
![Iran’s Paralympians who competed at Rio 2016 were honoured at a special ceremony hosted by the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hassan Rouhani.](/sites/default/files/images/170306111827790_IR.jpg)
Iran’s President praises Paralympians at special ceremony
Hassan Rouhani, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, host a special ceremony for the Paralympians who competed at Rio 2016, in the country’s capital city of Tehran.
Muraoka’s home win puts her in World Cup contention
The Japanese sit skier moved within 40 points of Germany’s Anna Schaffelhuber in the super-G in Hakuba.
![Joseph Berenyi of USA competes in the Men's C1-2-3 1000m Time Trial Track Cycling at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.](/sites/default/files/images/170306113826136_Joseph%2BBerenyi.jpg)
Para cycling Track Worlds come to a close
Joseph Berenyi won two golds on the last day of competition (5 March) on home soil in Los Angeles, including USA’s first gold ever in the men’s team sprint event.
![Sandra Paovic of Croatia in action against Kunwoo Lee during the prelimimary round of the Women's's Table Tennis at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.](/sites/default/files/images/160913113320428_Sandra%2BPaovic.jpg)
Paovic, Van Zon meet expectations in Lignano
The Rio 2016 Paralympic champions showed no lag at one of the first major international competitions of the year.