PARALYMPIC AND PARA SPORTS NEWS
![A female sit-skier in a cross-country competition](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/51022146047_5a2438de5c_h.jpg?h=85b524a7&itok=Fk84Hyqa)
Surprise history maker Gretsch ready for bigger spotlight at Beijing 2022
US Para biathlete proves she is no one-hit wonder en route to her second Paralympic Games
![male Para snowboarder Maxime Montaggioni](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/images/190320114347877_Maxime-Montaggioni-La-Molina.jpg?itok=-9B47EAa)
Montaggioni rises from ‘black’ days to renew pursuit of elusive Paralympic medal
French Para snowboard champion banking on brain power to succeed at Beijing 2022
![Andrew-Bach](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/Andrew-Bach.jpg?h=b77c2b94&itok=lapdN74s)
Andrew Parsons congratulates Thomas Bach on his re-election
'Thomas and the IOC have shown great leadership in the last year since the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games'
![A female cross-country skier passing in front of a ski slope](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/51022144607_e8285b7e93_h.jpg?itok=g-Yce5Xz)
Masters and Lekomtsev sweep gold in World Cup races in Slovenia
World Para Nordic Skiing season's opener in Planica closes with Para biathlon individual and sprint races
![Woman helps train man how to lift weights](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/powerlifting-she-can-life-hiroki_nishioka.jpg?itok=80HkS6Tm)
‘She Can Lift’ pushes new limits for women
IPC 2021 International Women’s Day Recognition winner has been redefining the meaning of strong since 2018
![A female Para alpine skier competing in a downhill race](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/Marie%20Bochet%201.jpg?itok=8fPFr8TF)
Bochet hoping for positive season sign-off at Europa Cup Finals
France's eight-time Paralympic champion joins 51 skiers from 14 nations in two technical races in Malbun, Liechtenstein until Friday
![Puriya Khaliltash competing at PyeongChang 2018](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/Puriya-Khaliltash.jpg?h=17ffe3ff&itok=u1y0TtL1)
Iran’s Para snowboarders eager to script more national history at Beijing 2022
'I will never give up. My goal in the future is to inspire people who want to do great things with all their impairments.'
![IPC appoints egoli to unleash the potential of digital content archive](/sites/default/files/styles/video_crop_16_9/public/oembed_thumbnails/TRQZ9UFa2zKRZeveqARsOYff_nBfxapg8e75KikjEx4.jpg?itok=a73uhMWG)
IPC appoints egoli to unleash the potential of digital content archive
Over 8,000 hours of Paralympic Games and Para sports footage from 1992 onwards to be digitised
![Zahra Nemati](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/images/161007104533877_zahra.jpg?itok=IA1Mjn7o)
Nemati: IPC award will inspire women with disabilities in Iran and globally
The Paralympic Champion and an advocate for women and disability rights won the IPC's '2021 International Women’s Day Recognition' in the Next Generation category
![Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid pose with the doubles trophies together with Tournament Director Esther Vergeer](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/2021-03/Alfie-Hewett-Esther-Vergeer-Gordon-Reid.jpg?itok=Jc0Vyt7H)
British sweep in Rotterdam
Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid dominate singles and doubles events
![female wheelchair curler Zhou Yan on the ice](/sites/default/files/styles/image_crop_16_9_800_450/public/images/190405155621542_Zhou-Yan-China.jpg?itok=zMrKRSzn)
China aims to continue history on home sheet
Coming off winning the nation's first Paralympic and World titles, China knows doing it all again at Beijing 2022 will be a challenge
![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.