The IPC will broadcast action live from the event, which is a test event for next year's Winter Paralympic Games, on its YouTube channel and fans can also follow the races on Twitter and Facebook.

More than 70 athletes will compete at the finals, which are set to get underway with the downhill event tomorrow – just a day after the one year to go mark to the Winter Paralympic Games, with some of the biggest names coming to Russia after winning big at the World Championships in La Molina.

However, women's world champion in the visually impaired class Henrieta Farkašová of Slovakia will not compete after sustaining an injury at those championships in Spain last month, leaving the path open for the other top contenders in the discipline, including Russia's Alexandra Frantseva and Briton Kelly Gallagher (pictured top, right), with her guide Charlotte Evans (pictured top, left).

"I'm ready for [Friday's] race," Evans said.

"It's a steep slope.

"You can't just camber down.

"It's got to be full attack."


In the women's standing, world champion Marie Bochet of France will hope to stand atop the podium once again, with her fiercest competition coming from teammate two-time Paralympic gold medallist Solène Jambaqué and Germany's Andrea Rothfuss.

In the women's sitting class, world champion Laurie Stephens of the United States will have to beat Austria's Claudia Loesch, who has been on top form this season, while Stephens' compatriot Alana Nichols, who did not race at the World Championships due to injury, is also one to watch out for.

"It will be a test event for us and we will see how it will be for us," she said.

"I think it's important just to have fun.

"I think it's a really difficult slope, the first part is quite flat, then there are three difficult pitches and a steep part. It will be a challenge tomorrow."

Spain's world and Paralympic champion Jon Santacana is a firm favourite in the men's visually impaired event, with his closest rivals likely to be Canada's Chris Williamson and Russian Ivan Frantsev.


World champion Markus Salcher of Austria will hope to be the fastest again in the men's standing class, with his toughest rivals teammate Matthias Lanzinger and Switzerland's Michael Brügger not far behind.

World champion Franz Hanfstingl of Germany will aim to hold onto his nickname, "the unbeatable", and claim the gold once again.

However, as the World Championships in La Molina showed, anything can happen in the men's sitting class.

"The downhill is a special race because it's more mentally demanding than other disciplines, but I like," said Germany's Georg Kreiter.

"It's my first time in Russia.

"I didn't think it would be as it is.

"I thought there would be nothing, but they're working everywhere, so I think it'll be great.

"I'm looking forward to coming back next year."

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