Para Alpine Skiing is a thrilling sport featured in the Paralympic Games, providing athletes with physical impairments the opportunity to showcase their skills on snow-covered slopes. Athletes compete in various disciplines, including downhill, slalom, giant slalom, super-G, and combined races, navigating challenging courses with precision and speed.
Para Alpine Skiing
Overview
Events & Disciplines
Downhill : Competitors are timed as they navigate a lengthy, steep course that may include various turns and jumps. The course is sparsely lined with gates, serving as checkpoints. Missing a gate results in disqualification. The finishing order is determined by a single run, with the shortest time being the winning factor.
Super-G : The course is shorter than downhill but longer than giant slalom and slalom. The number of gates is based on the vertical drop, with a minimum requirement of 35 direction changes for men and 30 for women. Gates are spaced at least 25m apart, and missing one leads to disqualification. The finishing order is established through a single run.
Slalom : Featuring a shorter course with a high number of gates (55-75 for men, 40-60 for women), athletes must navigate through each gate. Missing a gate results in disqualification. Each athlete completes two runs on different courses in a single day, with times from both runs combined to determine the finishing order. The starting order for the second run is based on the ranking in the first run, with the fastest skiers going last.
Giant Slalom : The course is longer compared to slalom, with wider and smoother turns. The number of gates depends on the vertical drop. Athletes complete two runs on different courses in a single day, with times combined to determine the finishing order. The starting order for the second run is based on the ranking in the first run, with the fastest skiers going last.
Super Combined : This event combines two disciplines, typically downhill and slalom, or super-G and slalom. For example, in the Vancouver Paralympic Games, a downhill run in the morning was followed by a slalom run in the afternoon. The winner is determined by the lowest total time across both runs.
Rules & Equipment
Skis: The skis used in alpine skiing events are long and narrow (minimum of 60mm). Men’s skis are a minimum of 165cm and women’s skis are a minimum of 155cm. The maximum height of the binding plate is 55mm in all events.
Sit-skis: Some athletes with a physical impairment compete from a sitting position using a sit-ski, also called a mono-ski. As the name suggests, mono-skis have a specially fitted chair over a single ski. The chair includes seat belts and other strapping, as well as a suspension device to minimise wear and tear on the skier’s body.
Poles or outriggers: Skiers in alpine skiing events use poles for propulsion and balance. The poles for downhill and super-G events are curved to fit around the body. Slalom poles are straight and usually have plastic guards to protect the hands from injury. Athletes in certain Paralympic classifications (e.g. single-leg amputees who ski without a prosthesis, sit-ski users) use special poles called outriggers. Outriggers have short ski blades on the end and help the skier with balance.
Boots and bindings: Boots for alpine skiing events have a hard plastic exterior with extensive foot and ankle support. The heel height of boots is regulated, with a maximum distance of 50mm between the sole and the heel. Alpine skiers use bindings that attach at both the heel and toe.
Helmets: Hard-shell helmets are required in alpine skiing events.
Goggles: Goggles are used to protect the eyes and to maximise visibility.
Clothing: Alpine ski racers wear lightweight, form-fitting clothing (all in one suit) to minimise air resistance. Slalom skiers frequently wear pads to protect from injury.
Classification
Sport classes LW 1-9: Standing skiers
Skiers with leg impairments:
Sport Class LW 1: This sport class is allocated to athletes with an impairment that strongly affects both legs, for example an above knee amputation of both legs or significant muscle weakness in both legs.
Sport Class LW 2: Skiers have a significant impairment in one leg. Some skiers, for example, have an impaired leg from birth. You will see them ski with one ski only.
Sport Class LW 3: This sport class is for athletes who have a moderate impairment in both legs. They will ski with two skis and prosthesis. Some LW 3 skiers have mild coordination problems or muscle weakness in both legs, or a below knee amputation in both legs.
Sport Class LW 4: Similar to skiers in Sport Class LW 2, LW 4 skiers have an impairment in one leg only, but with less Activity Limitation. A typical example is a below knee amputation in one leg. They will use two skis during the race.
Skiers with arm impairments:
Sport Class LW 5⁄7: Athletes in this sport class ski with an impairment in both arms. Some athletes have amputations and others have limited muscle power or coordination problems. They will race down the slopes without ski poles.
Sport Class LW 6⁄8: Skiers have an impairment in one arm. Skiers will compete with one ski pole only.
Skiers with combined arm and leg impairments:
Sport Class LW 9: Skiers in this Sport Class have an impairment that affects arms and legs. Some skiers in this class have coordination problems, such as spasticity or some loss of control over one side of their body. Depending on their abilities, they will ski with one or two skis and one or two poles.
Sport Classes LW 10-12: Sit-skiers
All sit-skiers have an impairment affecting their legs. They are allocated different sport classes depending on their sitting balance, which is very important for acceleration and balancing during the races.
Sport Class LW 10: Skiers in this sport class have no or minimal trunk stability, for example due to spinal cord injuries or spina bifida. They therefore rely mainly on their arms to manoeuvre the sit-ski.
Sport Class LW 11: Skiers have good abilities in their upper trunk, but very limited control in their lower trunk and hips, as it would be the case for skiers with lower spinal cord injuries.
Sport Class LW 12: This sport class includes skiers with normal or only slightly decreased trunk function and leg impairments. Skiers with leg impairments in Sport Classes LW 1-4 often also fit this sport class, so that they can choose if they want to ski sitting or standing in the beginning of their career.
Sport Classes B1-3: Skiers with visual impairment
Sport Class B1: Skiers in this sport class are either blind or have very low visual acuity. By way of explanation, their level of visual acuity is such that the athlete cannot recognize the letter “E” (15x15cm in size) from a distance of 25cm. During the race they are required to wear eyeshades.
Sport Class B2: This sport class profile includes athletes with a higher visual acuity than athletes competing in the B1 class, but they are unable to recognize the letter “E” from a distance of 4m. Moreover, athletes with a visual field of less than 10 degrees diameter are eligible for this sport class.
Sport Class B3: The B3 sport class profile describes the least severe visual impairment eligible for Para Alpine Skiing. Eligible athletes either have a restricted visual field of less than 40 degrees diameter or a low visual acuity.
In Para Alpine Skiing, you will see athletes with visual impairment skiing with a guide. The guide skis in front of the athlete and verbally gives directions to the athlete.