Russia tops the medals table in the Sochi Paralympic Games, which run from March 7 to 16 and whose motto is Hot! Cool! Yours! It is a venue which has already raised nearly one hundred million dollars from the marketing program, breaking a fund-raising record.
Russia tops the medals table at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games with a total of 30 medals (9 gold, 12 silver and 9 bronze), followed by Germany (four gold medals) and Ukraine with a total of nine medals (2 golds, 3 silver medals and 4 bronze). Austria is fourth with two gold medals and two silvers and Japan fifth with a total of five (2,1,2).
The Paralympic Winter Games record for fundraising has been broken with an intake of some 95 million USD from the Paralympic marketing program. The hot favourites today in the biathlon are Russia and the Ukraine, which laudably decided to participate in the Games despite the recent tensions between the two countries, understanding that sport is part of culture and mutual friendship and should transcend political and geo-strategic moves.
There are twelve sets of medals up for grabs today, March 11, day four of the competition in the modalities of Alpine Skiing, the Biathlon, Ice Sledge Hockey and Wheelchair Curling. These events will take place at the Rosa Khutor Alpine Center, The Laura Cross-country Ski and Biathlon Center, The Shayba Arena and The Ice Cube Curling Center.
Yesterday Russia won the gold and silver medals in the fifteen kilometers cross-country skiing. Elena Remizova and Mikhalina Lysova were the medalwinners. To note also, the German athlete Anna Shaffelhuber became a double Olympic Champion in the women's super-G sitting category and Brian McKeever of Canada won the men's 20 kilometres cross-country gold medal for visually impaired athletes.
A special edition of postage stamps has been issued to commemorate Russia's first ever Winter Paralympics. It is a unique sheet consisting of three postage stamps, issued under the Sochi 2014 Philatelic Program.
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
Pravda.Ru