Winter sports for athletes with physical impairment gradually emerged after World War II, as large numbers of injured soldiers and civilians tried to return to their skiing activities. This led to the design of new ski equipment and to the planning of dedicated sport events. Over the years, adapted cross country skiing (XC-skiing) has quickly grown from a form of physical therapy and medical rehabilitation for veterans to a gratifying recreational pursuit for individuals of all ages and disability. Predictably, recreation gave birth to agonistic sport that culminates in the Paralympics. In 1949, the first World Championships were organized for visually impaired athletes. In 1970, as part of "Ridderrennet" in Norway, a combined event of XC-skiing and shooting took place for visually impaired athletes. In 1972 the first Norwegian Winter Championships was held for the same specific group of persons with a disability. Paralympic XC-skiing was firstly introduced at the 1976 inaugural Winter Paralympics in Sweden. Due to intrinsic factors into adapt XC-ski techniques and equipment to athletes on a wheelchair, sitting events were not present in international scenario, until the end of 1980s: XC sit-skiing was only introduced at the IV Winter Paralympic Games in 1988 in Innsbruck, Austria. The Lillehammer 1994 Paralympic Winter Games represent a breakthrough for different reasons: for the first time XC-skiers first competed in the same venue used for the associated Olympic Winter Games and Biathlon was introduced as a medal event; the term Nordic ski comprise XC-ski and biathlon.
© Copyright 2016 Sciene and nordic skiing III. Published by University of Jyväskylä; University of Salzburg. All rights reserved.