Belarusian Paralympians begin competition at Winter Games in Italy

Photo courtesy of the National Olympic Committee

MINSK, 10 March (BelTA) – Belarusian skiers will hold their first races today at the XIV Paralympic Winter Games in Italy, BelTA has learned.

The competition program in Tesero will open with sprint races. The first to take to the distance will be the women competing in the sitting event. The qualification starts at 11:45 Minsk time, with our Valiantsina Biryla and Lidziya Loban among the participants. Standing athletes with limb impairments will begin their qualification at 12:30. Among the women, Belarusian Darya Fedzkovich is entered; among the men, Raman Svirydzenka, who won the sprint at a World Cup stage in Germany in January.

The first final race is scheduled for 15:20. Today, medals will also be contested by visually impaired skiers. 10 km classic style races will take place on 11 March. Relay races are scheduled for 14 March, and individual 20 km freestyle races will take place on the final day of the Paralympics, 15 March. In total, the XIV Paralympic Winter Games have brought together more than 600 athletes from 55 countries in Italy. Belarusian athletes will compete under the national symbols.