Para Alpine Skiing

Skiing as a sport for people with disabilities dates to the Second World War, which led to a large number of injured soldiers. An amputee in Germany attached crutches to short skis, inventing the first equipment for skiers with lower limb amputations. Several years later, an Austrian veteran who had lost both legs due to a hand grenade founded a division of the Austrian Ski Association for disabled skiers, and annual competitions began to be held in Austria. Ludwig Guttmann, an important figure in the development of Paralympic sports, helped organise skiing events.

For years, skiing for people with disabilities was limited to amputees, but in 1969 a vision impaired skier named Jean Eymere, a former ski instructor who had lost his sight, started a ski programme in Aspen, Colorado, for blind skiers. In 1974 the first international competition, the World Para Alpine Skiing Championships, was held in France.

The first Winter Paralympic Games were held in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden in 1976, with two Alpine events: slalom and giant slalom.

Downhill skiing was added to the Paralympic program in 1984 in Innsbruck, Austria, and the super-G was added in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway.

Sit-skiing was introduced as a demonstration sport at the 1984 Innsbruck Paralympics and became a medal event at the 1998 Games in Nagano.

The main equipment includes outriggers, sit-skis and monoskis. The monoski, a shell attached with a shock absorber to one or two skis and used in combination with mini-skis, helps the athlete balance. In relation to the disability, timing correction system allows athletes with different disabilities to compete against each other.

The main equipment includes outriggers, sit-skis and monoskis. The monoski, a shell attached with a shock absorber to one or two skis and used in combination with mini-skis, helps the athlete balance. In relation to the disability, timing correction system allows athletes with different disabilities to compete against each other.

Italy has two exceptional Para Alpine skiing athletes: Giacomo Bertagnolli and Rene de Silvestro. In the recent Paralympic Games, visually impaired athlete Bertagnolli made history by winning two gold medals (slalom and super combined) and two silver medals (super-G and giant slalom). Rene De Silvestro, an athlete in the sitting category, also brought home a silver medal in giant slalom and a bronze in slalom at the Beijing Paralympics.