The international Paralympic Committee (IPC) organizes and governs top level international Para-Nordic racing including World Cup, World Championships and the Paralympics. The IPC integrates cross-country skiing and biathlon so that both disciplines are featured at all competitions. Two disciplines and three classified categories for both men and women result in a large number of medal events at larger competitions with opportunities for many different skiers to succeed. Para-Nordic athletes and guides who compete at IPC sanctioned events must have an IPC racing license which can be purchased through CCC. For more information about IPC level competition please go to the
IPC Nordic Skiing website.
IPC Biathlon and Cross-Country World Cup
The IPC World Cup (WC) calendar is designed to determine the best Para-Nordic skiers in the world each season. The schedule is planned by the IPC Nordic Sport Technical Committee in collaboration with the National Ski Associations annually. A single season calendar will have four to five WC events with four to seven individual competitions at each one. The WC Finals at the end of the season become a focal point in a non-World Championships or Paralympic year. Twelve WC champions are crowned each season. Canada has won multiple WC medals including nine in 2011.
IPC Biathlon and Cross-Country World Championships
The IPC World Championships (WCh) are hosted every second year. They are a major goal for most nations and become the focal point of the season in that year. Thirty-eight individual competitions were contested at the 2011 WCh in Khanty-Mansiysk Russia. Canada has won multiple WCh medals over the years including a record seven (five gold and two silver) in 2011.
Paralympic Games
The Paralympics are the pinnacle of Para-Nordic competition and provide a long term focus for all nations with Para-Nordic racing programs. The Paralympics are held every four years immediately following the Olympics at the same venue. Approximately fifty percent of all Paralympic medals are won by Para-Nordic athletes. At the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games 32 Para-Nordic gold medals were handed out and in the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia 38 gold medal events will be contested. Canada has won multiple Paralympic medals including four in 2010 at Vancouver.
Domestic Para-Nordic Races
Para-Nordic competitions are held in Canada each season and are generally organized and governed locally through CCC and its Divisions. Stand alone Para-Nordic events are not generally held in Canada as most Para-Nordic races are integrated into able-bodied events such as Provincial cups, NorAms, Nationals or Canada Winter Games. The Para-Nordic Nationals has been held as a separate event on occasion such as in 2010 when it was necessary because of a scheduling conflict with the Paralympics. Para-Nordic athletes competing domestically do not need an IPC license but must have a valid CCC race license to compete in CCC sanctioned events.
Upcoming IPC race organization changes
The IPC organizes and governs a total of nine Para-sports but is currently making plans to hand over responsibility for these sports (up to the WC and WCh level) to their respective able-bodied sport federations or new Para specific federations by 2016. The IPC will then concentrate on organizing only the Paralympics much like the International Olympic Committee (IOC) organizes only the Olympics. In the case of Para-Nordic the Federation International De ski (FIS) will eventually take over organization of cross-country skiing competition and the International Biathlon Union (IBU) will take over biathlon competition. It is hoped this will have positive effects for international Para-Nordic ski competition in the future.