RIA Novosti Roundup -- IPC President Speaks, Incentives for Gold, Vonn's Hopes Dented

Re-elected Tuesday for a fourth term as president of the International Paralympic Committee, which he has run since 2001, Philip Craven's biggest upcoming task is preparing for the Winter Paralympics in Sochi from March 7 to 16.

In an interview with R-Sport, he discussed disabled sport's continuing need for more TV exposure, doping and how to involve more Muslim women in the Paralympics.

R-Sport: "How do you assess the work completed over your previous four-year term? What are the challenges that you have to face now? And What are the key challenges that the international Paralympic movement worldwide is facing now?"

Craven: "I think the work over the last four years has been fantastic and London 2012 showed that to the world. The key challenge now is sustaining and building on the momentum created. One key challenge is athlete development. Although London was a success with a record number of countries and athletes competing, just 10 of the competing 164 countries supplied nearly 50 per cent of the athletes.

"In contrast 46 countries sent just one athlete. This is not a sustainable model. Through the Agitos Foundation, the IPC’s development arm, we aim to increase the number of people practicing para-sport around the world by working with National Paralympic Committee’s, International Federations, and Regional Organisations.

"We also need to broaden the media coverage the sports and athletes achieve. Although London 2012 saw record media coverage, we have already helped build on this success by signing up NBC in the USA to cover the 2014 and 2016 Games."

R-Sport: "What will be your first steps after being re-elected as IPC President?"

Craven: "My first steps will be to start implementing what I outlined in my manifesto which aims to build on the momentum created at previous Paralympic Games. It is important for the growth of the movement that we have successful Games in Sochi, Rio, Pyeongchang and Tokyo.

"Athlete development is also key over the next four years. We need to increase the number of athletes practicing para-sport around the world in all countries. Through the Agitos Foundation, the IPC aims to achieve this.

"I will also listen to what the membership has to say and will start planning a major conference next year, the IPC’s 25th year, which will bring all members together to share their views on the future of the movement."

R-Sport: "To what extent does state authorities' attention to the promotion of the Paralympic values worldwide correspond to the existing problems of people with disabilities?"

Craven: "The challenges faced by people with an impairment around the world differ from country to country. In Russia, in the last seven years since Sochi won the Games, we have seen a great deal of improvement. The creation of a barrier-free environment in Sochi’s Games infrastructure is a great move and the Games organizers and government should be congratulated.

"However, such accessible environments should not just be limited to the venues and facilities for the Games. The true success of the Games will be measured afterwards and it is important that Russia as a whole takes the Sochi Games blueprint and implements it across the whole country. The support from government needs to continue post-Games and the work must continue if Russia is to become an inclusive and accessible country for all."

Click here to read the full interview.

Russia Dangles $120,000 for Sochi Gold in Front of its Athletes

Russians who shower the home nation in glory by winning a gold medal at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games will be rewarded with prize money of $120,000, the government announced Saturday.

The incentives, which include $76,000 for silver and $52,000 for bronze and also apply to the Paralympic Games, roughly equate to those offered by the Russian government at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

That edition was considered a humiliating flop, with a meager haul of three gold medals out of 15 overallmaking for Russia's second-worst performance ever.

Russian officials have set a relatively modest target of a top-three place in the medal table this time around, when a record 98 sets of medals will be up for grabs in 15 sports. The Games run February 7-23.

Winter Sports Roundup

French star Martin Fourcade committed a costly error in the first biathlon race of the season in an otherwise quiet week for winter sport, dominated by the news Alpine skiing champion Lindsey Vonn could miss the Olympics with injury.

Elsewhere, Russian teenage figure skater Julia Lipnitskaia's second Grand Prix win showcased her Olympic credentials, and Polish ski jumper Krzysztof Biegun burst onto the world stage with a win in difficult, even dangerous, conditions.

Biathlon.

The Czech Republic surged to victory in the first World Cup race of the season in in Oestersund, Sweden, but only when France's usually reliable Fourcade, a five-time world champion, crumbled under pressure.

Norway took the silver, 16.6 seconds off the Czechs and 0.4 ahead of France, who had looked set for victory until Fourcade earned himself a decisive penalty at the final round of shooting.

Individual, sprint and pursuit races follow later this week.

Figure Skating

After a perfect short program at the Cup of Russia Grand Prix, the 15-year-old Lipnitskaia was shaky in the free skate but still took gold ahead of Italy's Carolina Kostner. Mirai Nagasu of the U.S. took third place.

"I'm very happy that I qualified for the final with two first places, but I'm not satisfied with today. It was the worst skate of my career," Lipnitskaia said in terse comments at a later news conference.

Another emerging Russian star, Maxim Kovtun, was impressive in the short program but ended up second behind Japan's Tatsuki Machida. Spain's Javier Fernandez settled for bronze.

Kovtun’s score of 92.53 points in the short program was especially significant because it is more than a point higher than the personal best of Turin Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko, Kovtun's chief rival for the sole Russian spot in Sochi's Games.

Germany's four-time world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy eased to victory in the pairs event, underlining their credentials as contenders for Olympic gold. Russia's Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev won the ice dance.

Skiing

Even with no alpine action, Olympic downhill champion Lindsey Vonn grabbed the headlines, but not in the way she would have wanted.

Days away from a comeback, Vonn crashed in training and injured same the knee ligament she tore at the world championships in February, throwing her Olympic chances into severe doubt.

At the opening round of the ski jump World Cup, Polish prodigy Krzysztof Biegun jumped to victory in a shortened event in Klingenthal, Germany.

The organizers canceled the second round of jumps due to strong winds, meaning 142.5 meters was enough for the 19-year-old Pole to register his first World Cup victory.

Another youngster, Andreas Wellinger of Germany, claimed silver, with bronze going to Slovenia's Jurij Tepes. Four-time Olympic champion Simon Ammann managed only seventh.

In the men's team event, Slovenia came top, ahead of Germany and Japan.

Luge

German lugers dominated the field at the second World Cup stage of the season in Igls, Austria, winning all four events.

Vancouver Olympic champion Felix Loch stormed to first place in singles, beating his compatriot David Moller by 0.174 seconds, with Italy's Dominik Fischnaller finishing third.

Double Olympic champion Armin Zoeggeler missed the podium, finishing fifth.

In the women’s event, Germans swept the podium, as Natalie Geisenberger won her second straight event.

Curling

With the European championships under way in Stavanger, Denmark and last year’s finalist Norway head the pack with a 4-0 record, while reigning champion Sweden is 2-2.

Scotland and Switzerland top the women’s standings, both with four wins from four matches, but reigning champion Russia is down on 2-2.

The round robin continues through Thursday.

Published by exclusive arrangement with Around the Rings’ Sochi 2014 media partner RIA-Novosti.

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