The best athletes from some of the leading nations in disabled snowsports will contest the adaptive alpine skiing events later this month at 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games.
Top-ranked adaptive skiers from Australia, Germany, Great Britain and New Zealand - including Adam Hall from Wanaka, the current world number two in slalom - are racing for glory and vital qualification points for next year's Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
Athletes with a range of physical disabilities or visual impairment will compete in the biggest adaptive ski event ever held in New Zealand. All three types of skiers - standing, sitting (using a specially-designed mono ski) and visually impaired (who race with a guide) - are professional athletes who train and compete all year around the world.
In a world first for elite snowsports, adaptive skiers and able-bodied athletes will race together on the same course when the super G and giant slalom events take place at Coronet Peak, Queenstown on Tuesday 25th and Friday 28th August.
The adaptive slalom race is on Saturday 29th, also at Coronet Peak, a day before the able-bodied event but on the same course.
Most adaptive athletes at the Winter Games appear in all three events. Amongst those competing are Gerd Schonfelder - currently the world's best skier in his class for giant slalom, second in super G, fourth in slalom and the top German in all categories - plus compatriot Martin Braxenthaler, world number three in his class for giant slalom and slalom.
A strong, 10-person Australian squad features Cameron Rahles-Rabula and Emily Jansen, the country's top men's and women's skiers in the LW2 class for athletes with disabilities in one lower limb.
Joining Adam Hall in the kiwi squad are Peter Williams from Auckland and Paralympian Anthony Field who was the flag bearer for New Zealand at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.
100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games will take place at Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cardrona Alpine Resort, Snow Farm, Naseby and Dunedin from 21-30 August 2009 and will feature disciplines of alpine skiing, free skiing, x-country skiing, snowboarding, curling, ice skating and adaptive snow sports as well as the demonstration sports of winter triathlon and natural luge.
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