A female cyclist from Russia is pictured during the time trial. Her mouth is open and her hair is blowing with the speed she is travelling at

Russia’s Nikitina in the hunt for cycling gold at World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games

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By Giuseppe Napoli | For Virtus: World Intellectual Impairment Sport

The 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games in Brisbane, Australia, from 12-19 October will be the ideal frame for a mosaic of different sport stories.

Around 1,000 athletes from 80 countries will compete in 11 sports with one goal:  the gold rush.

Irina Nikitina, the golden athlete of the Russian cycling team, will be called upon to build on the good results achieved at the last World Championships in Paris, France, in 2018. Nikitina wants to leave definitively behind the difficult time she passed through the year before.

“The period when I was out of competitions due to my health conditions, was the hardest. Due to my surgery I could not participate to the 2017 World Championships.  I wanted to stop training,” said Nikitina.  “In Paris, last year, however I won one silver [road race] and one bronze medal [time trial]. My main goal is to become world champion and I hope that my best achievements will still be ahead”.

The national women’s cycling team, currently composed of Nikitina, Liubov Tarasova and Praskovia Iakovleva, has performed remarkably in the last two years.

A bronze and a gold in Assen, The Netherlands in 2017 and a silver and a bronze in Paris last year – Coach Adanichkin has created a solid team where friendship and encouragement are the bedrock for individual and collective achievements. A “well-oiled machine”, as Adanichkin dubbed it, aiming for success joint effort and support.

In this regard Brisbane 2019 will not only be a testing ground and a chance to win some medals, but the opportunity to experience a brand new country.

Of the 2019 Global Games Nikitina said: “My goal for this competition is victory but also meeting new friends.  Doing sport gives me the possibility to have communication, to look at the world around me and at cycling environment. For me to be part of this event is also an opportunity to cheer up other people”.

Nikitina began her competitive career in her home city, Kostroma, in the Upper Volga district. At the time cycling was something between passion and daily routine, while doing short track speed skating as well.

The competition in Brisbane will be tough but the Russian cyclist, who balances training with study, will not back out of her commitment to excel:

“In Russia I have the best results among women and I try to achieve the results of the men’s team. I want to show everybody that I am able to perform at a good level. The hardest part of the competition is to overcome myself, but the other side of the coin is standing on the podium as a result of my commitment”.

The 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games are expected to attract around 1,000 athletes from 80 countries. The event, which takes place every four years, will feature 11 sports including the road cycling World Championships for men, women and teams.

Two cyclists are pictured during a race, making a huge amount of effort.

Going for gold: Duinkerke on the road to Brisbane 2019

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By Giuseppe Napoli | For Virtus: World Intellectual Impairment Sport

Dutch cyclist Joannathan Duinkerke is hoping for redemption at the 2019 International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Global Games in Brisbane, Australia, as he aims for an illusive world title.

Going the distance could easily be the motto of every cyclist. For Duinkerke however, the phrase has one special meaning and it goes from Assen, the Netherlands, to Brisbane, passing through Paris, France.

At the last two World Championship, in Assen in 2017 and Paris last year, Duinkerke won two bronze and two silver medals in the team time trial and men’s road race.

These results left him disappointed as he fell short of his expectations. His biggest regret is not stepping onto the podium at home in Assen.

“It’s a competition I will not want to remember,” Duinkerke said.  “I was disappointed with myself and with the whole team. If everything had gone well together, I could have performed better”.

But from 12-19 October the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games – the world’s biggest high performance sports event for athletes with an intellectual impairment – will provide the ideal stage for Duinkerke to try to lay his ghosts to rest.

“It is a great honor to be allowed to participate in such an important event in a far away country, the highest possible in my career. It’s a dream come true,” he said. “My goal is always to be the best, it is what motivates me to train. As an athlete, I am very persistent and I just don’t give up. I know how to manage myself and fight to win.”

The pursuit of excellence has been a constant in the cyclist’s career and now, close to turning 30, he is ready to add another gold to an impressive resume.

The life of a cyclist is constant sacrifice and meticulous discipline in order to excel. Duinkerke is no exception.

“I train six days per week and I have one day off, I follow carefully my schedule. I also have a nutritionist who follows me and sets up a diet. The athlete’s lifestyle fits me well. The structure, the urge to perform. I am happy to be a top athlete in my environment.”

The commitment does however have its downsides as well: “The hardest part is when things do not run as you want. I think that mentally can be heavy sometimes. Sometimes you also face difficult choices and you have to say no to nice things because you need to train.”

The Brisbane 2019 Global Games will be an important showcase, not only for the World Intellectual Impairment Sport cycling community, but for the entire movement for athletes with intellectual impairments.

“Everyone can play sports, regardless of what restriction you have,” Duinkerke concluded.

The 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games are expected to attract around 1,000 athletes from 80 countries. The event, which takes place every four years, will feature 11 sports including the road cycling World Championships for men, women and teams.

Representatives of the IOSDs met with IPC President Andrew Parsons

IPC reaffirms support for International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled

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Representatives of the four International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled (IOSDs) – the founders of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) – gathered in Bonn, Germany, recently to meet with IPC President Andrew Parsons and Chief Executive Officer Xavier Gonzalez.

The Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA), the International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport), the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) and International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) all play a key role in the development of Para sports.

At a meeting on 22 January, Parsons and Gonzalez reaffirmed their strong support for the IOSD’s within the Paralympic movement and the significant work they do to support the athlete pathway.

“The IOSDs play a significant role in the development of the Paralympic Movement and work in close partnership with the IPC,” Parsons said. “We are athlete-centred organisations and together we aim to create more opportunities for athletes from all regions, especially those with high-support needs. We have also discussed how to provide new pathways from grassroots level to elite competition.”

The IPC also made several presentations on classification, their strategic plan, the Agitos Foundation and other current topics.

 

The IOSDs highlighted their individual activities, including their respective multi-sport events for the different impairment groups and the role they play in helping Para athletes on their way to the Paralympics. They also talked about the wide range of opportunities for athletes beyond the Paralympic Games, such as in those sports not currently on the programme.

The part IOSDs have in bringing more athletes with high support needs through the system was another topic that led to a good discussion.

As well as joint meetings, individual meetings were held between the IOSDs and key IPC staff. The gathering is now expected to take place at least once a year.

Working alone and together, the IOSDs play a key role in the development of Para sports through competitions, training, education and advocacy for athletes and people within the Paralympic Movement and beyond.

IWAS will host its World Games 2019 in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from 12-16 February. World Intellectual Impairment Sport stages the Global Games in Brisbane, Australia, from 12-19 October. Both events feature multiple sports, some of which are qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, and are expected to attract hundreds of athletes from around the world.

IBSA will host its General Assembly in July 2019 in Fort Wayne, USA, where it aims to bring together members to agree on a new five-year strategy. The centrepiece of this is for IBSA to become the world’s leading organisation for developing sports for people with visual impairments inside and outside the Paralympic Games.

CPISRA hosted its World Games in 2018 in Sant Cugat, Spain. It has also been instrumental in growing RaceRunning, which was added to the World Para Athletics programme at the European Championships in 2018. The sport will now also appear at the 2019 World Championships in Dubai, UAE.

 

 

World Intellectual Impairment Sport suspends Ukrainian athlete for two months

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World Intellectual Impairment Sport (International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments) has suspended Ukraine’s Iuliia Shuliar for two months following a violation of article 2.1 of the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Anti-Doping Rules.

Shuliar, who competed in athletics, tested positive for Thiazides at the 2018 World Intellectual Impairment Sport European Summer Games in Paris, France, in July during an in-competition test. Thiazides appears on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list of banned substances.

Shuliar suspended herself from competition voluntarily in September 2018 and provided evidence to World Intellectual Impairment Sport that the substance had been taken for medical reasons and without any intent to improve her performances. In accordance with World Intellectual Impairment Sport anti-doping rules, the period of ineligibility can be as high as four years but was reduced to two months based on the evidence provided. The suspension concluded in November 2018.

All results obtained by Ms. Shuliar at the 2018 World Intellectual Impairment Sport European Summer Games will be disqualified including loss of any medals, team points and records.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport is a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code and works hard to promote clean sport. In 2018 World Intellectual Impairment Sport conducted 20 tests with one adverse analytical finding.

Around 30 psychologists gathered in Cairo as Egypt focuses on athlete eligibility

Eligibility workshops for Americas and Asia announced

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The International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) has published details of two regional eligibility workshops to take place in 2019.

The sessions are being held with the support of the Agitos Foundation and aim to give participants an introduction to the process.

The first will be held in Puerto Rico from 2-3 April for all World Intellectual Impairment Sport Americas countries. It will be followed a month later in Hong Kong from 2-4 May for World Intellectual Impairment Sport Asia members.

The workshops will provide an orientation to the eligibility process for athletes with an intellectual impairment together with updates on the additional additional impairment groups.

Registration is set to open in the coming weeks. Workshops are also open to countries that are not World Intellectual Impairment Sport members to expand their reach.

Professor Jan Burns, World Intellectual Impairment Sport’ Head of Eligibility, said: “We have done a lot of work in the past few years to improve our members’ expertise around eligibility. This is part of our role in making sure they are aware of the basics but also up to date with the latest research and developments in the area.

“The sessions are important because they give members the tools to provide a high quality service to their athletes. In turn this allows NEOs [National Eligibility Officers] to assess more potential competitors much quicker than before, allowing team sizes to expand over a shorter period of time, whilst maintaining our high standards regarding eligibility.

“We are looking forward to welcoming participants from Asia and Americas as World Intellectual Impairment Sport builds the quality of high performance sport for athletes with intellectual impairments around the world.”

The workshops are part of a successful bid by World Intellectual Impairment Sport for funding through the Agitos Foundation’s Grant Support Programme. The Agitos Foundation is the development arm of the International Paralympic Committee.

A Japanese skier with an intellectual impairment races during a Nordic skiing event

Skiing and cross-country athletics Worlds added to 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport competition calendar

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The International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) has announced the dates and locations for the 2019 alpine and Nordic skiing and cross-country athletics World Championships.

First up will be the 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Skiing World Championships in Autrans and nearby Lans en Vercors in France from 5-11 March.

Both alpine and cross-country skiing will feature as 60 athletes from 10 countries take on the slopes and trails.

Alpine skiing will feature slalom, giant slalom and super-G. Nordic skiers will compete in the cross-country sprint, short and long distance races as well as a 3×2.5km relay.

Autrans is known as the Nordic skiing capital of France and it hosted cross-country skiing events for the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble.

Lans en Vercors, also in southeastern France, will host the alpine skiing. The Championships are being organised by the French Federation for Adaptive Sports.

A month later Ostrzeszów, Poland, will stage the 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Athletics Cross-Country World Championships from 4-8 April. Men’s and women’s short, long and team events will be contested.

Around 30 athletes from five countries are expected to line-up for the event which is organised by the Polish World Intellectual Impairment Sport member, ZSS Sprawni Razem.

Marc Truffaut, World Intellectual Impairment Sport President, said: “It is great to get 2019 underway with two new additions to the competition calendar. Following on from 2018 where we had a record number of new athletes across all sports, we expect both events to be highly competitive.

“This year is a Global Games year but World Intellectual Impairment Sport also continues to provide opportunities for sports not on the programme, and therefore for a wide variety of athletes with intellectual impairments.

“My thanks go to the organisers of both Championships for their commitment to hosting what I am sure will be memorable events.”

Both Championships will feature athletes competing in II1 (athletes with an intellectual impairment) as well as II2 (athletes with a more significant intellectual impairment) and II3 (athletes with high-functioning autism.)

The last World Intellectual Impairment Sport Skiing World Championships were held in Zakopane, Poland in 2018. The previous edition of the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Athletics Cross-Country World Championships were held in Eperney/Reims, France in 2017.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport searches for Championships hosts

Table tennis at World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games to be recognised by ITTF

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The International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) has announced that table tennis competitions at the 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games in Brisbane, Australia, will be recognised by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) for the first time.

The move means that all class 11 players competing between 12-19 October will be able to achieve ranking points for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics according to the ITTF’s factor 20 status.

The World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games are the world’s biggest high performance sports event for athletes with intellectual impairments. The 2019 edition will feature 11 sports, with table tennis the latest to be recognised by the relevant International Federation.

Marc Truffaut, World Intellectual Impairment Sport President, said: “We are absolutely delighted to achieve this historic milestone thanks to a great partnership with the ITTF. We want the Global Games to be an important stop on the calendar, especially as they always take place in the year before the Paralympics.

“Brisbane 2019 is aiming to be the biggest edition yet with 1,000 athletes from 80 countries competing across all sports. This news will go a long way to attracting the absolute best table tennis players as they reach for Global Games titles and Tokyo 2020 qualification.”

Australia is preparing to host Oceania’s first Global Games in Brisbane with high quality venues, transport and accommodation. It is expected to set the standard for future editions.

“ITTF is very happy to establish a long term cooperation with World Intellectual Impairment Sport and this approval of the Global Games is an awesome first step. Intellectually impaired athletes is the biggest population in numbers inside Para sport and their progressive integration is totally consistent with our “Table tennis for all” values. I am sure that Brisbane will witness a great competition next October and athletes will enjoy the quality they deserve,” Steve Dainton, Chief Executive Officer of the ITTF, said. 

Robyn Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Games Company who are organising the event, said: “The recognition by the ITTF to award the table tennis competition (class 11) with a factor 20 status is monumental to not only the Global Games 2019 and the world’s best players with an intellectual impairment, but to the relationship between World Intellectual Impairment Sport and ITTF into the future.  Both Federations are working in partnership to ensure that table tennis is developed at all levels across the globe for these talented athletes.”

 As well as table tennis, the other Paralympic sports on the Global Games programme – swimming and athletics – will be recognised by World Para Swimming and World Para Athletics respectively.

Taekwondo, a growing sport for athletes with intellectual impairments which is led by World Taekwondo, will also be sanctioned.

Basketball, cycling, futsal, rowing, tennis, cricket and hockey competitions will act as the World Championships for each sport, with World Intellectual Impairment Sport acting as the current International Federation.

More information about the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games can be found at the official website or at www.inas.org. Entries for 2019 are currently open.

Athletes and coaches wanted for research study

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Athletes with intellectual impairments and their coaches are being asked to take part in a research project which aims to get more young people in Europe into sport.

The Intellectual Disability and Equal Opportunities for Active and Long-term participation in sport – or IDEAL – is an Erasmus funded project which brings together organisations across the region.

Its aim is to address known inequalities in access to sport for youngsters with intellectual impairments so that more people can get active and reach their potential.

The IDEAL team are searching for athletes and coaches with experience of giving or receiving coaching. They will carry out 20-30 minute interviews which will cover backgrounds and personal experiences.

The research will then be used to improve the standard of coaching for people with intellectual impairments.

Those taking part must have a good understanding of English and be aged 18 years or over.

Athletes must also have an intellectual impairment or autism and have been competing in a sport for at least six months with the help of a coach. Coaches need a minimum of one years experience working with these athletes.

Anyone interested should contact Matthew Johnston from Canterbury Christ Church University.

About IDEAL

One of the innovative aspects of the IDEAL project is the involvement and cooperation between multiple European parties. The IDEAL project brings together the main intellectual impairment sport organisations with research institutions to collaborate on sports policy. Such a large scale project has never been done in the past.

To advance the development of this area, an extensive partnership between several institutions is necessary. The coordination of these involved parties is carried out by the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, the overall coordinator of the project.

Included in this network of European parties are distinguished academic institutions across the EU. Each of these academic institutions is responsible for one specific sport or task related to their field of expertise.

As well as these sport institutions and universities, sport federations such as the International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) and the International Paralympic Committee are involved. National sports federations are also a crucial part of the project.

For more information visit the IDEAL project website.

Male rowers from Italy

World Intellectual Impairment Sport Rowing launches ‘Cyber Championships’

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The International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) has launched an innovative online indoor rowing competition to grow the sport around the world.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport Rowing hopes to attract more athletes by allowing them to submit their performances by video between 15 January – 31 March for the 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Rowing Cyber Championships.

Entries are open for various events such as the men’s and women’s 500m and 1,000m and the 2,000m mixed team relay for two men and two women.

Athletes with national or international eligibility and competition license in the II1 (for athletes with an intellectual impairment), II2 (for athletes with a more significant impairment) and II3 (for athletes with high functioning autism) are all able to compete. The II1 and II2 will be medal events and the II3 will be a demonstration to gauge global interest.

The event is also the first time II2 and II3 athletes can compete in an World Intellectual Impairment Sport Rowing competition.

A weekly rankings list will be published as the entries come in. Athletes can also submit more than one entry. Competition is expected to be fierce as rowers try to outdo each other over the 2.5 months.

More information about entry requirements can be found here.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport Africa launched

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Representatives from across Africa met in Cairo, Egypt, from 13-14 December to establish a new regional International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairment (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) organisation in Africa.

Hosted by the World Intellectual Impairment Sport member in Egypt – ESFID – administrators from Cameroon, Morocco, Sudan, Mauritius, Libya and Kenya attended the two day event. 

The group formalised its structure, agreed a new constitutional document and discussed future plans – including an ambition to host the first World Intellectual Impairment Sport regional competition for the Africa Region in 2020.

Elections were also held for key positions including:

  • Amal Mobadda (Egypt) who was elected as President
  • Masher Mohamed (Sudan) – Vice President for North African nations
  • Jean-Marie Malepa (Mauritius) – Vice President for South African nations
  • Hamid Al-Aouny (Morocco) – Secretary General
  • Ashraf Hussein (Egypt) – Treasurer
  • Khaled Mohammed (Libya) – Member at Large
  • Mohammed El Mazougy (Tunisia) – Member at Large

Masher Mohamed’s appointment is subject to the approval of Sudan’s World Intellectual Impairment Sport membership application.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport President, Marc Truffaut, said: “This gathering represents the most encouraging move in recent years towards establishing a much-needed World Intellectual Impairment Sport organisation in Africa.

“We are keen for more countries from the region to grow sport for athletes with an intellectual impairment and holding and attending competitions, and for those that already exist to be empowered to do the same.

“World Intellectual Impairment Sport sends it best wishes to those involved and we are grateful to ESFID for hosting this event and are excited to see the results.”

As well as creating World Intellectual Impairment Sport Africa, the group were also given introductions to eligibility and the work of World Intellectual Impairment Sport more generally.