The eyes of the sporting world will once again be on Sweden, after it was announced that two top-class Swedish winter sport venues – Åre and Östersund – will host the World Para Snow Sports Championships in 2023.
The Championships – held every two years – are one of the major events on the winter parasport calendar, alongside the Winter Paralympic Games, and the decision to award it to Åre and Östersund will further boost Sweden’s reputation as a first-class global sporting event host, and a winter sport wonderland.
Both Åre and Östersund boast a rich heritage in organising top-level winter sports competition. Åre is a key venue in the Stockholm Åre 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games bid, and earlier this year, was the host city of the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships – while Östersund successfully welcomed the 2019 IBU Biathlon World Championships.
In January 2023, the localities will add new events to their roster: the Para Alpine Skiing World Championships and Para Snowboard World Championships will be held in Åre, while Östersund will welcome Para Nordic Skiing World Championships, featuring Biathlon and Cross-Country Ski events.
It marks the first time that Sweden will host World Championships in Para Alpine Skiing and the Para Snowboard. The Para Nordic World Championships were previously held in Sollefteå, Sweden in 2013.
Dimitrije Lazarovski, Head of World Para Snow Sports, said: "Sweden has hosted a series of successful Para Snow Sport competitions over the years and we’re extremely happy to announce that Åre and Östersund will deliver the World Championships in 2023.
"We have worked with the local Organising Committee on previous occasions and know that athletes and fans can expect amazing events."
He continued: "Bringing all of the Para Snow Sports World Championships to the same region is a great way to increase the visibility of the sports and the host cities, provide more commercial opportunities and attract new fans. These are exciting times for us."
The Stockholm Åre 2026 bid to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to Sweden for the first time since 1912 aims to be the most sustainable Olympic Games in history. Alongside Italy, Sweden is one of just two candidates still in the running the host the 2026 Games, with the final decision to be made by the International Olympic Committee on 24 June 2019.
Fredrik Andersson, Swedish Paralympic Committee Sport Manager. Said: "Åre and Östersund will be a very good host for these competitions. In a way it’s almost going to be like hosting the Paralympics - I mean it’s just going to be one less sport really."
Zebastian Modin, the Swedish Paralympic Nordic Ski star based in Östersund agrees:
"For me it feels great to be able to compete on home soil," he says. "This will be great for everyone, there are some really nice venues here in Sweden. I believe that the competitions will help to grow parasport in the mainstream, and we will make an even bigger impact. That’s a clear benefit of hosting the World Championships in one region."
In 2019, the World Para Snow Sports Championships were spread across multiple venues – the Para Alpine Worlds in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, and Sella Nevea, Italy, in January; the Para Nordic Worlds in Prince George, Canada, in February; and the Para Snowboard Worlds in Pyha, Finland, in March. The next Para Snow Sports Championships will be held in 2021 in Lillehammer, Norway.
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