PARALYMPIC AND PARA SPORTS NEWS
![A group of 17 women on sledges wearing read and blue uniforms on an ice rink](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/B65I5813.jpg?h=20b48d90&itok=3QmU7IhB)
Bid applications open for 2022 Women's World Challenge
Tournament to become a reoccurring event during the 2022-2026 cycle as steppingstone on the road to the first-ever Women’s World Championships
![Picture collage of three women](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/international-women-day.jpg?h=b367eda9&itok=CM-XzCh0)
International Women’s Day Recognition award winners
Two outstanding individuals and one sports federation in the Paralympic Movement are forging a gender equal future
![A woman lifting a bar on a bench press competition](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/GettyImages-1305731864.jpg?h=083f5f22&itok=MDobKSNX)
Fernandez causes upset as hosts dominate Bogota World Cup
One of Colombia's six gold medallists in season's opening event, Lima 2019 champion highlights female participation growth in the sport
![A female cross-country standing skier with a bandana with the Ukrainian flag competing in the snow](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/Cross-country%20Kononova%20Slovenia.jpg?h=916cf4f6&itok=yRTke1H3)
Ukraine’s female skiers undefeated in standing races in Slovenia
Liashenko, Kononova and Batenkova-Bauman sweep medals in three World Cup Para cross-country events at Planica & Kranjska Gora
![Tokyo 2020 mascots](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-07/Tokyo%202020%20mascots.jpg?itok=c0vluXmt)
Record number of female competitors at Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games
Tokyo 2020 first ever gender-balanced Olympic Games in history
![A men without the left arm shooting with a rifle during a Para biathlon competition](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/51011660856_13537c0ee2_h.jpg?itok=nt-HVXh_)
Three out of three for Lekomtsev, Liashenko and Masters in Slovenia
Russian, Ukrainian and USA athletes take third gold medal at the first day of Para biathlon races in season's World Cup opener
![A man holding his hands on a bench press during a powerlifting competition](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/GettyImages-1305712528.jpg?h=3bda2df0&itok=VqFU3Ewn)
Past disappointments fuel Garrido from Bogota to Tokyo
Chilean powerlifter in search of his best form to achieve the dream of the first Paralympic medal in Japan
![Para ice hockey pioneers Brit Oeyen and Lena Schoeder cross paths](/sites/default/files/styles/video_crop_16_9/public/oembed_thumbnails/h3bDBnBNdx-VUvLiVFBniy5o28JBsIEaDK8eKqqMmMM.jpg?itok=qz3bEdmm)
Norway’s female Para ice hockey pioneers cross paths
Lena Schroeder made history as the first female Para ice hockey player at a Paralympic Winter Games since Brit Mjaasund Oeyen in 1994. The two legends met face-to-face for the first time.
![male Para Nordic skier Cristian Ribera](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/images/190315133143089_Cristian-Ribera-PyeongChang.jpg?h=9c41c1f5&itok=BPVtzdLR)
Ribera on a mission at Beijing 2022
Best Brazilian athlete in Winter Paralympic history aims for a medal at the next Games
![Female Korean sit skier competing](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/vo-ra-mi-seo.jpg?h=e6fa66b8&itok=mp6iNB7b)
Vo Ra Mi Seo hopes to show beauty of disability
“I forged this path, so I want to take a responsibility until I can hand over my position to the next generation”
![Rita Van Driel speaking](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/Rita-Van-Driel.jpg?h=180c8a11&itok=jBnhoDum)
Rita Van Driel participates in UN Human Rights Council session
IPC Governing Board Member joined the annual interactive debate on the rights of persons with disabilities as part of new partnership with UN Human Rights
![Male alpine skier with left leg impairment competes in slalom](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/Hilmar-Orvarsson.jpg?h=cd91cc29&itok=yJbgXH2c)
Orvarsson blazing path for Iceland at Winter Games
Slalom specialist in prime form to reach national milestone at Beijing 2022
![A man standing in the centre of a podium holding the hands of two other men in wheelchairs](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/31428650507_299f76d03e_o.jpg?h=c50c0c03&itok=r5NlIgJ-)
Fabio Torres leads hosts as World Cup kicks off in Bogota
Forty-three athletes from 14 nations set to compete in the Colombian capital in first international event to take place during the pandemic
![Clara Klug competing at PyeongChang 2018](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/Clara-Klug3.jpg?h=8b63ab27&itok=FYBvM8f6)
Inside the mind of a vision impaired Para biathlete
Watching Clara Klug in action is extraordinary, but understanding how she succeeds is even better
![A man in a sit skiing competing in a cross-country event in the snow](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/Giuseppe%20Romele_Planica.jpg?itok=M9kw7Qx4)
Romele starts off third World Cup season with big surprise win
Four athletes grab double gold in season’s opening races, including USA's Laureus Awards winner Oksana Masters
![A man with the Chinese uniform on an ice sledge competing against two other men wearing Germany's uniform](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/20191117-WC-Para-Ice-Hockey-20-04-43-rku.jpg?itok=h7e8SDDo)
Beijing 2022: Yutao Cui wants to leave a winter sports legacy
'I hope winter sports will be understood by more people and more disabled people will get involved in sports,' says national team captain
![A man with a white cap swimming backstroke in a swimming pool](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/Ivo%20Rocha%20of%20Portugal%202%20-%20Photo%20by%20Seb%20Daly-Sportsfile.jpg?h=f6db59e6&itok=YrDDE87R)
Madeira 2020 competition dates confirmed
Biggest Para swimming competition before the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, European Open Championships are set to take place in Portugal from 16 to 22 May
![An Italian and a South Korea Para ice hockey player during a game on ice](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/assets_ioc_2021-03-03_193504.jpg?h=ab6de5e7&itok=HXbIQ4rp)
Beijing 2022: 10 Para ice hockey athletes to watch
The stars who are likely to shine on ice in China one year from now at the next Paralympic Winter Games
![Snow covered scene with Beijing 2022 mascots](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/beijing-2022-Yangqing%20%203%20%283%29.jpg?h=922b6f92&itok=3DUiNd2U)
IPC kicks off Beijing 2022 1YTG celebrations
Packed digital schedule for snow sport enthusiasts
![Kai Schrameyer high-fives a kid](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/Kai-Schrameyer.jpg?itok=iPAykEza)
Schrameyer receives 2021 Brad Parks Award
German wheelchair tennis player's efforts to grow sport after retirement does not go unnoticed