Nordic skier Michael Kurz, who will be competing in his fourth Paralympic Games, and snowboarder Georg Schwab are the only non-Alpine skiing athletes announced on the 13-strong Austrian squad looking to better their seventh place finish at Vancouver 2010.

Sit-skier Loesch will be hoping to defend her slalom and super-G titles in Sochi while she will also be a major threat in the downhill and super combined events, in which she claimed a bronze and silver medal in, last time out in Vancouver.

Salcher and Lanzinger will be going head-to-head in the standing events and both will be looking to register podium finishes next month.

Markus Salcher will be a major medal threat for Austria at Sochi 2014 ©Getty Images



Salcher will head to Sochi in good form after picking up the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athlete of the Month award for January.

The 22-year-old has impressed in World Cup events this season, winning two golds in Panorama before securing three top finishes in the downhill, super-G and giant slalom disciplines in Tignes last month.

At last year's IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in La Molina, Salcher took two world titles, finishing ahead of teammate Lanzinger in the super-G event.

But former able-bodied skier Lanzinger claimed his first IPC world title with victory in the super-combined competition last February which sets up some healthy rivalry between the two going into the Paralympic Games which are due to run from March 7 to 16.


An horrific accident in 2008 resulted in Matthias Lanzinger having his left leg amputated and he will be appearing in his first Paralympic Games next month ©AFP/Getty Images




Lanzinger, 33, suffered a serious accident during an International Ski Federation (FIS) World Cup event in Norway in 2008 that led to the amputation of his left leg and will be competing in his first Paralympic Games next month.

Philipp Bonadimann, Dietmar Dorn, Martin Falch, Thomas Grochar, Andreas Kapfinger, Roman Rabl, Reinhod Sampl and Martin Wurz complete the Austrian alpine skiing team.

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