The IBSF Para Sport World Championships are the official world-championship events for para-bobsleigh, organized by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF). They are open to athletes with physical impairments and are held annually at varying venues.
They represent the highest level of competition para-sliding sports and play a key role in the campaign for inclusion in the Paralympic Games, with the IBSF aiming for full recognition by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) for future editions.
History of the sport
Para bobsleigh is an adapted discipline of bobsleigh designed for athletes with physical impairments. It features solo competition in modified monobob sleds, raced down ice tracks at speeds exceeding 130 km/h, with athletes experiencing forces of up to 5G in corners.
The sport emerged in the early 2000s, with athletes such as Aaron Lanningham and Gary Kuhl completing successful runs in Park City, Utah. Kuhl notably competed against able-bodied athletes in America Cup races.
In 2010, the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) formally endorsed para bobsleigh, establishing a Para Sport Committee to oversee its development and advocate for Paralympic inclusion.
The first standardized para monobob sled was developed by Renzo Podar and driven by Swiss Paralympic champion Heinz Frei. The inaugural international competition, the Prince Kropotkin Cup, was held in Sigulda, Latvia in 2013.
Equipment and format
Para bobsleigh uses a single-person sled known as a monobob, adapted for seated starts and hand steering. Mechanical launchers were introduced to simulate the running start used in able-bodied bobsleigh, ensuring competitive fairness.
Athletes compete individually, and races are timed to the hundredth of a second. The sport emphasizes precision, control, and upper-body strength.
Competitions The first IBSF Para Sport World Cup season began in 2014–15, with events held in North America and Europe. World Championships have been hosted in Park City (2016) and St. Moritz (2017), featuring athletes from over a dozen nations including Canada, Germany, Latvia, and Great Britain.
History of the World Championships The inaugural IBSF World Para Sport Championships were held in Park City, Utah, in March 2016, featuring 19 athletes from 9 nations. The event marked the first formal global competition for para bobsleigh and para skeleton athletes. Subsequent editions, however, included only para bobsleigh events using a modified monobob.
The championships have grown steadily in participation and visibility, with athletes from over a dozen countries competing in recent editions.
Medalists
Bobsleigh The first IBSF World Para Sport Championships event was held in 2016 and has been held annually ever since except for 2020 when events were disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Each championship is in the monobob format.
2016 Park CityMarch 2016 2017 St. MoritzFebruary 2017 2018 Lillehammer March 2018 2019 Lake PlacidMarch 2019 2020 colspan=3 2021 St. Moritz February 2021 2022 Lillehammer March 2022 2023 St. Moritz March 2023 2024 LillehammerMarch 2024 2025 St. MoritzMarch 2025 2026 St. Moritz January 2026
Skeleton
A single para skeleton championship was held in 2016, but has not been contested since.
2016 Park CityMarch 2016
Medal table
See also
IBSF World Championships (bobsleigh and skeleton) International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation Paralympic sports
References
External links IBSF Para Sport page IPC coverage