Para sport notebook: World championships this week in Para alpine skiing and Para biathlon

OTTAWA – With just over a year to go until the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, the Para alpine skiing and Para biathlon world championships get underway this week in Slovenia.

Veteran Kurt Oatway of Calgary leads a powerful five-member Canadian squad at the Para alpine skiing worlds which have now been delayed to later this week due to poor snow conditions.

Organizers announced Tuesday that the downhill, Super G and combined have all been cancelled.

The slalom and giant slalom are currently scheduled to run from Saturday to Tuesday.

”Following the course setting and team inspections, teams provided feedback to the Jury, expressing concerns that the course posed significant challenges for sitting athletes and could lead to unsafe conditions. Based on this feedback, the Jury decided to cancel the event,” FIS Snowsports posted on Instagram.

This season on the World Cup circuit, Oatway has posted three gold, three silver and a bronze at four stops so far in the sitting events. The 2018 Paralympic Games downhill champion victories this winter were in the Super G (twice) and the downhill.

Kalle Ericsson of Kimberley, B.C., and his guide Sierra Smith of Ottawa (1-1-4) as well as women’s standing skier Michaela Gosselin of Collingwood, Ont., (2-2-2) have collected six medals this season at three World Cup events.

Two-time Paralympic medallist Alexis Guimond of Gatineau, Que., has added three medals in men’s standing (0-2-1) at two World Cups.

The worlds run until February 11.

Canadians medal favorites at Para biathlon worlds

It also looks promising for Canada’s four entries at the Para biathlon worlds which go Thursday to Sunday in Pokljuka, Slovenia.

It’s the first of two world championships for the Para nordic skiers this month. The Para cross country worlds are February 12-14 in Toblach, Italy.

Last week at the Para biathlon World Cup in Val di Fiemme, Italy, the 2026 Games venue for the sport, Canadians collected four gold.

Eleven-time Paralympic Games medallist Mark Arendz of Hartsville, PEI, has four wins in five World Cup Para biathlon men’s standing events overall this season. He has not missed a target.

Paralympians Brittany Hudak of Prince Albert, Sask., Natalie Wilkie of Salmon Arm, B.C., in women’s standing and sit-skier Derek Zaplotinsky of Smoky Lake, Alta., have also all earned World Cup Para biathlon victories this season.

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Shelby Newkirk named Saskatchewan’s female athlete of the year

On Friday night, Para swimmer, Shelby Newkirk of Saskatoon, was named Saskatchewan’s female athlete of the year for 2024.

Newkirk won the bronze medal in the women’s S6 100-m breaststroke at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.

Earlier in 2024, the 28-year-old broke the world record in women’s 50m backstroke at the Citi Para Swimming event with a time of 37.40 seconds

Tickets, schedule announced for 2025 Para ice hockey World Championships in Buffalo

Canadians in southern Ontario won’t have far to travel to watch Canada’s Para ice hockey squad defend its title at the next world championships set for May 24-31, 2025 in Bufalo, N.Y.

Organizers announced tickets are now available HERE.

Canada opens the tournament May 24 against Germany, followed preliminary round games versus Norway May 25 and China May 27. The quarterfinals are May 28, the semis May 30 and the medal matches May 31.

The top five countries at the worlds qualify for the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy.

Priscilla Gagné hopes to be ready for 2025 World Para judo Championships

Priscilla Gagné is currently recuperating from a knee injury suffered at the Paralympic Games where she placed fifth.

She hopes an MRI exam will give her the green light to compete at the world championships this May in Kazakhstan.

While she’s been off the mat, Gagné has kept fit by playing goalball. She competed at the annual Montreal Invitational last week and helped her squad to fourth spot.

‘’I have more control and there’s less pressure on my knee (in goalball),’’ Gagné told Radio-Canada. ‘’It also helps me focus. I have to visualize myself on the court and anticipate movements.’’