Canadian Paralympic Committee – OTTAWA, Feb. 22, 2017 – Looking forward with great anticipation to next year’s Paralympic Winter Games, the Canadian Paralympic Committee is now inviting applications for media accreditation from Canadian journalists and photographers for the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Games.

The Paralympic Winter Games are set for March 9 to 18, 2018 in PyeongChang, South Korea. Canada expects to send a full team, led by Chef de Mission Todd Nicholson, with qualification and test events beginning in March 2017.

Canadian media interested in accreditation are asked to fill out the registration form available here: http://tinyurl.com/zfqyhll by Feb. 23, 2017.

Please note that this is the only process for Canadian journalists and photographers to apply for accreditation for the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Games.

The following categories of accreditation will be managed by the Canadian Paralympic Committee for the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games:

1. “E”: Journalist – Journalist, editor, photographic editor, employed or contracted by a world news agency, a national agency, a general daily newspaper, a sports daily, a sports magazine or periodical, Internet site, social media news site or independent/freelance journalist under contract, sport specific press.

2. “EP”: Photographer – meeting the same criteria as those defined for category “E.”

3. “ET”: Technician – technician meeting the same criteria as those defined for category “E.”

The Canadian Paralympic Committee expects to complete the allocation of media accreditations in fall 2017 and will notify all applicants upon completion.

About the Canadian Paralympic Committee: Paralympic.ca

For more information, please contact:

Alison Korn

Senior Manager, Media Relations and Communications

Canadian Paralympic Committee

Phone: 613-569-4333 ext. 243 / Cell: 613-298-4927

Email: akorn@paralympic.ca

Martin Richard

Executive Director, Communications and Marketing

Canadian Paralympic Committee

Tel: 613-569-4333 ext. 224 / Cell: 613-725-4339

Email: mrichard@paralympic.ca

BACKGROUNDER

TEAM CANADA AT THE PYEONGCHANG 2018 PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES

The 2018 Paralympic Winter Games are set for March 9 to 18, 2018 in PyeongChang, South Korea. The Games are expected to attract up to 670 athletes competing in 80 medal events.

Five sports are on the Paralympic Winter Games program: wheelchair curling, Para ice hockey (formerly known as sledge hockey), Para alpine skiing, Para snowboard and Para Nordic, which includes cross country and biathlon events.

Canada expects to send a full team, with qualification and test events beginning in March 2017. Test event dates include:

–        March 4-11: World Wheelchair Curling Championship, Pyeongchang, South Korea

–        March 8-13: IPC Snowboard World Cup Finals, Pyeongchang, South Korea

–        March 9-18: IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup Finals, Pyeonchang, South Korea

–        March 10-15: IPC Nordic Skiing World Cup, Pyeongchang, South Korea

–        April 11-20: World Para Ice Hockey Championships A-Pool, Gangneung, South Korea

PERFORMANCE TARGET

At the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, Canada placed third in the overall medal standings with seven gold, two silver and seven bronze.

The Canadian Paralympic Team’s performance goal for PyeongChang is not yet set. It will be established, in consultation with Own The Podium and national sport organizations, after the 2017 winter season has finished and results are analyzed.

CHEF DE MISSION

Five-time Paralympian in para ice hockey (formerly called sledge hockey) Todd Nicholson was announced as Chef de Mission on Jan. 24, 2017. Nicholson was a member of Canada’s National Sledge Team from 1989 to 2010, was team captain for 15 years and won three Paralympic medals: gold (2006), silver (1998) and bronze (1994).

Since his retirement from competition, Nicholson has remained deeply involved in sport at both the national and international levels as an athlete representative and advocate, on and off the field of play.