Russia’s Artem Muratov headlined a great day for Russia at the 2018 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Indoor Athletics Championships on Friday (2 March), breaking the men’s 400m II1 world record in Val-de-Reuil, France.

Muratov took an early lead at the Jesse Owens Stadium in Normandy, striding across the line for gold in 48.97. His time lowers the previous record of Cape Verde’s Gracelino Barbosa.

France’s Charles-Antoine Kouakou (51.42) tried to stick with Muratov but in the end settled for silver. Hong Kong’s Kung Yeung Chong (53.64) was third.

Russia claimed another gold courtesy of Aleksandra Ruchkina in the women’s triple jump II1. Hop, skipping and jumping her way to best of 11.50, Ruchkina beat Portugal’s long jump world champion Ana Filipe (10.93) into second.

Pavel Sarkeev eased to victory in the men’s 1,500m II1 in a time of 4:05.02 to round-off a trio of golds for Russia on the opening day. Ndiaga Dieng (4:10.42) of Italy was second and France’s Rashid Boutasghount (4:14.02) third.

In the women’s 1,500m II1 Turkey’s Muhsine Geyser (5:21.23) powered her way to first place with a sprint finish. The Czech Republic’s Katarina Husakova (5:30.83) was left in Geyser’s wake to secure silver. France’s Marion Candelier, the silver medallist from 2016, was third in 5:34.35.

There was a second gold for Turkey in the women’s 400m II1 after the disqualification of Russia’s Anastasiia Glushkova. Sevim Demircan (64.59) just dipped onto the line for the win ahead of France’s Laurie Brandel (64.90) with silver. Demircan’s teammate Yasemin Keskinsoy (68.27) was promoted to bronze.

Drama in the pentathlon

A dramatic women’s pentathlon II1 saw the top three swapping places throughout the day.

Poland’s Karolina Kucharczyk got her campaign off to a great start in the 60m hurdles. The individual world champion won her race in 9.22 seconds to take an early lead.

Portugal’s Claudia Santos (11.60) and France’s Virginie Dreux (11.96) were second and third respectively.

Santos pulled back some points on Kucharczyk in the high jump, with both women clearing 1.41m. The Portuguese athlete went on to win the shot put with a 8.40m throw.

However Kucharczyk made a comeback in the long jump, leaping to a 5.48m to lead the field once again. Santos was second with 4.44m and Dreux (4.04m) in third.

With a third place finish in the 800m, Kucharczyk secured the gold with 2,831 points. Santos (2,262) was second, followed onto the podium by Dreux (1,707).

In the opening men’s pentathlon II1 event Spain’s Franci Perez Carrera (9.05) led France’s Daniel Royer (9.34) in the 60m hurdles.

Royer made a comeback in the high jump, leaping 1.58m on his last attempt at the height. Carerra could only manage 1.55m. The Frenchman also claimed top points in the shot put with a 10.84m throw over Carrera’s 7.88m.

But Carrera made his intentions clear in the long jump, topping the table with 5.66m to Royer’s 5.42m. The Spaniard then went on take the tape in the 1,000m in 3:06.08 to finish on a winning score of 2,640. Royer (3:16.24) claimed silver just a few points behind with 2,637.

Argentina’s Alain Villamarin (12.47) was the victor in the men’s triple jump II1. Carlos Lima (12.45) took silver ahead of Turkey’s Onur Kopuzlu (12.15). With his bronze, Kopuzlu equalled his performance from the last edition in Ancona, Italy, in 2016.

France’s Nicolas Virapin took on the shot put, long jump and 60m in the men’s triathlon II2. He claimed gold with 2,802 points.

Full results are available throughout the competition. 

Live results, updates and pictures will be available at World Intellectual Impairment Sport’ Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The 2018 International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Indoor Athletics Championships are the biggest track and field competition this year.

Here are four things you might not know about the host city Val-de-Reuil and the Championships themselves.

Big names

The indoor athletics Championships always attract the big name stars as they take every opportunity to compete all year round.

In 2018 the competition will feature many Paralympians including Portugal’s Ana Filipe. Filipe is a young star who made her Paralympic debut in 2016. She is a defending champion in the high jump, bronze medallist from the long jump and is targeting the triple jump crown.

Global Games build-up

Val-de-Reuil is one of the major competitions taking place in the build up to the 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games in Brisbane, Australia.

The major multi-sport event is the world’s biggest gathering of elite athletes with intellectual impairments.

The podiums at Val-de-Reuil will therefore give a good indication of who could claim medals in Australia in 2019.

Jesse Owens stadium

Opened in December 2009, the Jesse Owens stadium will play host to the 2018 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Indoor Athletics Championships.

It stages high level sporting events, conferences, conferences and shows and can hold 1,500 spectators. It hosts the Forum des métiers and recently Festiv’Art. It has also been used for national university or school competitions.

New town

Val-de-Reuil is located in the Normandy region in France.

It has only existed since the 1970s when it became one of nine new towns created in the country. In 1984 it changed its name to Val-de-Reuil to avoid confusion with nearby Le Vaudreuil.

Live results, updates and pictures will be available at World Intellectual Impairment Sport’ Facebook, Twitter and Instagram between 2-4 March.

Polish athletes are amongst the medal favourites for their home International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) World Alpine and Nordic Skiing Championships, which get underway in Zakopane on Tuesday (27 February).

Sixty skiers from nine countries will compete for honours until 2 March. Amongst them are Poland’s Patryk Jakiela, Michał Krzanowski and Jerzy Krzanowski.

Jakiela is the defending champion in the men’s long distance cross country. He will be joined by the Krzanowskis for the 3x2km relay. The trio will try to repeat their gold medal winning performance from 2017 in Gourette, France.

“Our players are in great shape and are rightly mentioned among the favourites to win”, said Edward Jakieła, the coach of the cross-country team for ZSS Sprawni-Razem, the Polish Union of Sport Associations for People with Intellectual Impairments.

“We do not know how hard our competitors have worked this year and we look forward to the first trainings and competition in Zakopane.”

Poland will also be represented by alpine skier Zofia Dzięcioł who will face her rivals in slalom, giant slalom and super-G.

Catch Poland in action

The first events for Polish skiers begin on Tuesday. The men’s middle distance freestyle will be held at the Central Sports Center in Zakopane from 9.00am (CET). At the same time, alpine skiers will start the fight for medals in slalom on the slopes of the Suche-Ski Station. The Józef Piłsudski Zakopane Park will host the Opening Ceremony at 5.30pm.

The Championship is being organized by ZSS Sprawni-Razem. The honorary patrons of the event are the Marshal of the Lesser Voivodeshi the Head of the District in Zakopane,; the Mayor of the City of Zakopane; the Polish Paralympic Committee and the Polish Skiing Association (PZN). The media patrons are TVP Sport, TVP3 Kraków and www.niepelnosprawni.pl. Integration are also a patron.

Live results, updates and pictures will be available at World Intellectual Impairment Sport’ Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on all competition days between 27 February – 2 March.

The hosts of the 2018 International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Indoor Athletics Championships have revealed a 19-strong team of athletes who will go for titles in Val de Reuil, France, between 2-4 March.

The team will feature a series of world champions and medallists from indoor and outdoor athletics.

They include Gloria Agblemagnon who won gold at the 2017 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Athletics Championships in the women’s discus and hammer. Charles Antoine Kouakou will also compete having taken the men’s 200m title and bronze at the 2017 World Para Athletics Junior Championships in the 400m.

Marion Candelier will hope to continue her winning streak from the 2017 World Intellectual Impairment Sport World Cross Country Championships in December, where she took double gold in the women’s short and long distance races.

Val de Reuil 2018 is expected to attract 100 athletes from 15 countries and will be held at the Jesse Owens Stadium. It follows on from the last edition in Ancona, Italy, in 2016.

It will feature athletes with an intellectual impairment (II1) as well two trial groups: II2 – for athletes with a more significant intellectual impairment, and II3 – for athletes with high-functioning autism.

Full French team:

Women

Gloria Agblemagnon

Aminata Camara

Marion Candelier

Danielle Delage

Virginie Dreux

Laurie Brandell

Men

Rashid Boutasghount

Renaud Breuk

Saby Chelvalme

Abdoulaye Coulibaly

Quentin Foratier

Gael Geoffroy

Charles Antoine Kouakou

Florian Lariviere

Sebastian Mengual

Johan Roigt

Daniel Royer

Damien Rumeau

Nicolas Virapin

The International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) has launched a search for committed, experienced individuals who want to make a difference through sport.

Volunteer members and Chairpersons are needed for World Intellectual Impairment Sport’ rowing, tennis, table tennis and swimming committees. These groups are responsible for development and growth across all regions, as well as competition management, classification and building relationships with partners.

The deadline for applications for all positions is 9 March. In depth role descriptions and more information is available at the World Intellectual Impairment Sport vacancies page.

Volunteer positions at World Intellectual Impairment Sport

A Chairperson is needed for the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Table Tennis Committee. This crucial role, within a sport on the Paralympic programme, will provide leadership to the committee in line with the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Strategic Plan and Governing Board.

The person will also coordinate and manage the sport’s competition programme and work to grow participation, working with the Executive Director.

In addition members are wanted for the table tennis, rowing, swimming and tennis committees.

An Americas region member is needed for the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Tennis Committee whilst swimming require representatives for Europe, Asia and Africa.

Table tennis and rowing are new committees and therefore members with relevant knowledge are encouraged to apply. Each person will take on responsibility for key areas based on their experience.

All applicants must have an excellent understanding and passion for sport for athletes with intellectual impairments. They should also have an in-depth knowledge of the relevant sport, and good leadership, organisational, communication and administrative skills.

Further information

Whilst each position is unpaid, costs of attending competitions will be covered. This offers successful applicants the chance to travel as part of their role. Meetings of each committee are often held via video conference.

All applications must be endorsed by the relevant World Intellectual Impairment Sport Member, who have to be in good standing.

More information is available at World Intellectual Impairment Sport’ vacancies page.