How to Compete in Wheelchair Cross Country Skiing
In international and Paralympic competition, wheelchair athletes compete in the “sitting” class (athletes with other disabilities compete in either standing or visually impaired classes). Wheelchair cross country skiing was added to the Paralympic Games at Ornskoldsvik, Sweden in 1976 and is now a recognized international sport in 24 countries. Except for the use of a “sit-ski” (also called a sled or sledge) athletes follow the regular rules of the International Ski Federation (FIS). For Paralympic events the sport is governed by the national sports governing body recognized by the International Paralympic Committee. Both men and women compete in wheelchair cross country skiing.
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Things You'll Need
- Sit-ski
- Ski poles
- Appropriate cold-weather clothing
- Rifle (Biathlon only)
Instructions
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Use a sit-ski or sled to compete in sitting class events. A sit-ski is a chair attached to a pair of skis. The skis are similar to regular cross country skis except that they are shorter.
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Use ski poles only in the race to propel yourself forward. Although the sit-ski uses regular bindings and skis, an athlete is not allowed to use the lower body in any way to assist forward progress. Even if you have some lower body mobility you can use only your ski poles during a race.
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Ski the race just as a non-disabled athlete would. You can enter races over short, middle, or long distances at national and international events. In Paralympic competition, the races range from a short 2.5 km race up to a long distance event of 20 km.
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Use the same rules and equipment if you compete in the sitting biathlon event. This is a 7.5 km race which combines target shooting and cross country skiing. During the race, you will carry a target rifle and stop at two points during the race to fire rounds at a stationary target. Your score is a combination of your time in the race and your accuracy as a marksman.
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Tips & Warnings
You will need to put in a lot of training time to compete in wheelchair cross skiing if you want to reach the national level or the Paralympics. This is a demanding aerobic sport and it is very competitive. However, there are many skiing clubs today that welcome skiers with disabilities. You may want to try wheelchair cross country skiing simply as recreation. If you do wish to compete there are a growing number of events you can enter even as a novice.
