PARALYMPIC AND PARA SPORTS NEWS
![Mac Marcoux in a close-up focussing on the slalom pole in front of him](/sites/default/files/images/140325143744546_478363117.jpg)
Skiers prepare for speed World Cup Finals
Close races loom as skiers go head-to-head for overall super-G and downhill globes between 1-4 March.
![collage](/sites/default/files/images/160301113909560_FotorCreated.jpg)
Month in review: February 2016
The month was packed with winter sports, including two World Championships.
![Graphic with three women sprinting](/sites/default/files/images/160229082016093_29%2BFeb%2B2016.jpg)
Music Monday: South Africa’s Ilse Hayes
The world champion sprinter who set a sensational new 100m world record last year shares her musical tastes.
French prepare for snowboard Europa Cup Finals, World Cup
Athletes will compete at Les Angles in both snowboard-cross and banked slalom between 8-12 March.
![Manuela Schär and Ernst Van Dyk](/sites/default/files/images/160226145522713_FotorCreatedmanuela_0.jpg)
Ernst Van Dyk and Manuela Schär to defend NYC Half titles in March
The South African and Swiss racers will headline a strong field on Sunday 20 March.
![Man with prosthetic leg doing shot put](/sites/default/files/images/160229075358216_Aled%2BDavies%2BIndoor_0.jpg)
Davies breaks shot put F42 world record
The British two-time world champion added 15cm to his previous best.
![Aerial view of the Tokyo Skytree](/sites/default/files/images/151112113839451_tokyo.jpg)
Tokyo 2020 appoints Mitsubishi Electric as an Official Partner
The Organising Committee now have 28 Tokyo 2020 Partners, including 13 Official Partners.
![Man in wheelchair curling](/sites/default/files/images/160229080905743_Wheelchair%2Bcurling%2BWorlds%2BRussia.jpg)
Russia retain Wheelchair Curling world title
The Sochi 2014 hosts have now won the world title three times in the last five years.
![A football 7-a-side player celebrates scoring a goal](/sites/default/files/images/160228112928561_Dan%2BCrossen_0.jpg)
Great Britain’s football 7 side confident ahead of international
Midfielder Matt Crossen is excited about the tournament which will see his team face fellow Rio 2016 qualifiers.
![Darko Duric](/sites/default/files/images/140408161503566_London_photo_by_Sportida.jpg)
Lidl Slovenia becomes official partner of NPC
Part of one of Europe’s biggest retail chains will support Slovenian Paralympians and raise awareness of para-sports.
![A Russian wheelchair curler celebrates progressing to the gold medal game](/sites/default/files/images/160228130341559_Russia%2Bcelebrate%2Bcurling%2Bworlds.jpg)
Russia defeat Norway to take on gold medal game
At the World Wheelchair Curling Worlds the page play-offs began with the 1v2 game between Norway and Russia and the 3v4 game between South Korea and Switzerland.
![Athlete with ear phones takes aim in biathlon.](/sites/default/files/images/140617095536498_SOC_20140314_LP_1109_WEB.jpg)
Chokhlaev, Murygin, Lekomtsev lead biathlon rankings
Competition in the World Cup is heating up following the last day of racing in Finsterau, Germany, with only one edition left.
![Pavlos Mamalos of Greece reacts with intense joy as he competes in the Men's -90 kg Powerlifting event.](/sites/default/files/images/121114160052039_151232635.jpg)
South Korean, Greek wins close powerlifting World Cup
Pavlos Mamalos and Keun Bae Chun were the leaders at the last opportunity for athletes to improve their place in the rankings for Rio 2016.
![Two women's standing skiers cross the line at exactly the same time](/sites/default/files/images/170303080342651_Oleksandra-Kononova.jpg)
Photo finish highlights cross-country ski World Cup
A close finish between Ukrainian world champion Oleksandra Kononova and Russian Paralympic champion Anna Milenina in the women’s standing stuns in Finsterau, Germany.
![Jim Armstrong; Canada Skip and his team on the ice](/sites/default/files/images/160227161120819_Canada%2BWheelchiar%2BCurling.jpg)
Canada’s wheelchair curlers avoid relegation at World Champs
The twelfth session of round-robin play featured the two remaining games, China v USA and Germany v Canada. The session would end with victories for China and Canada.
![Bank Ki-moon stood behind a podium addressing the IOC session.](/sites/default/files/images/140206130446474_467110851_0.jpg)
UN Secretary General praises Paralympics
Ban Ki-moon said ‘mega’ sports such as the Paralympics have potential to advance peace, human rights. United Nations
USA, France, Germany, Russia, Japan win slalom World Cup globes
After the final slalom race of the 2015-16 World Cup season, globes were awarded to USA’s Danelle Umstead, France’s Marie Bochet, Germany’s Anna-Lena Forster, Japan’s Taiki MoriiI, and Russia’s Valerii Redkozubov and Aleksei Bugaev.
![Wheelchair curler on the ice with team in the background](/sites/default/files/images/160226074412076_swiss%2Bcurling%2B2.jpg)
Norway and Switzerland progress at World Wheelchair Curling Championship 2016
After five days of competition, the hosts Switzerland remain undefeated in Lucerne.
![Anna Milenina at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games](/sites/default/files/images/140627093442534_SOC_20140310_LP_0843_WEB.jpg)
Russia continue to dominate Nordic World Cup
Two wins and a further nine podiums for the team, but the USA’s Oksana Masters sneaks in a victory in Finsterau, Germany.
![IBSA Goalball](/sites/default/files/images/150326114106593_IBSA%2Bgoalball.jpg)
African Championships to crown goalball qualifiers
Eight women’s teams, five men’s teams are set to compete for Rio 2016.