New Paralympian Hall of Famers; Russian Broadcast of Paralympics

Paralympians To Be Inducted into HOF

Two Paralympians and a Paralympic coach are set for induction into the Visa Paralympic Hall of Fame during the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympic Games

Spanish visually impaired skier Eric Villalon Fuentes, German visually impaired skier Verena Bentele, and American cross-country skiing coach Jon Kreamelmeyer will all be inaugurated on March 8.

Having won five golds, three silvers, and a bronze in three Winter Paralympics, Villalon Fuentes is often considered Spain’s most successful winter Paralympian of all time. Bentele has won 12 golds, two silvers, and two bronzes over the course of four Paralympic Winter Games, and is the most successful female biathlete of all-time. From 1998 to 2006, Kreamelmeyer coached the USA’s Paralympic cross-country skiing team and saw 11 of his athletes medal in Paralympic competition.

"Eric, Jon, and Verena have each made tremendous contributions to the Paralympic Movement," Ricardo Fort, senior vice president of global sponsorship marketing for Visa, said. "We are privileged to honor them with this induction."

Russian TV to Broadcast 180 Hours of Paralympic Competition

A collaboration between the Olympic Broadcast Service and Russian television means that over 180 hours of Paralympic competition will be broadcast throughout Russia.

The Olympic Broadcast Service acts as the host broadcaster and will create an international television signal for the Paralympic Games. This signal is transmitted to broadcasters, who will transmit it around Russiaand the world.

ANO Sports Broadcasting (Panorama) will play a role in setting up the international television signal. The All-Russian Broadcasting Company, a sub-licensee of Panorama, will divide competition broadcasts between the Russia 2, Sport, and Sport 1 television channels. Panorama will also broadcast the Winter Games in full online.

"We are delighted that Russia’s first Paralympic Winter Games will get so much airtime on TV," Sir Philip Craven, International Paralympic Committee president,said of the agreement. "Such coverage of the Games is vital in raising the profile of Paralympic sport and I am sure that what Russians watch on TV will help them change their attitudes and views of what can be achieved by a person with an impairment."

8,000 Volunteers In Place For Paralympics

Over 8,000 volunteers from 60 countries have gathered in Sochi to assist with Russia’s first Paralympic Games.

These volunteers will be working in areas such as event services, sport, NPC services, accreditation, arrivals, and departures, and language services.

The group has undergone extensive training to properly support Paralympic athletes at Sholokhov Moscow State University and the Russian State Social University. Additionally, many have previous Paralympic experience from test events in Sochi and the London 2012 Paralympics.

Written by Andrew Murrell

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