Australia at the Winter Paralympics

{{Main|Australia at the Paralympics}}

{{Use Australian English|date=October 2016}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}

{{infobox country at games

| NPC = AUS

| NPCname = Australian Paralympic Committee

| games = Paralympics

| year =

| flagcaption =

| oldcode =

| website = {{url|www.paralympic.org.au }}

| location =

| competitors =

| sports =

| flagbearer =

| rank =

| gold = 12

| silver = 6

| bronze = 14

| officials =

| appearances =

| app_begin_year =

| app_end_year =

| summerappearances = {{Team appearances list|team=Australia|competition=Summer Paralympics|begin_year=|end_year= }}

| winterappearances = {{Team appearances list|team=Australia|competition=Winter Paralympics|begin_year=|end_year= }}

| seealso =

}}

File:Xx0188 - 1988 winter paralympics - 3b - scans (12).jpg

Australia has competed in every Winter Paralympics. In 1976, the first Games, Australia's sole competitor was Ron Finneran, but he was not an official entrant.[http://www.paralympic.org.au/games-amp-events/paralympic-games-history-winter/paralympic-games-history-winter "Paralympic Games History - Winter"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605054642/http://www.paralympic.org.au/games-amp-events/paralympic-games-history-winter/paralympic-games-history-winter |date=5 June 2011 }}, Australian Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 22 June 2012. In 1980, Kyrra Grunnsund and Peter Rickards became the first official competitors, in alpine and cross-country skiing.{{Cite news|publisher=International Paralympic Committee |url=http://www.paralympic.org/ipc_results/search.php?npc=AUS&gender=all&medal=all&sport=all&games=1980PWG|title=Athlete Search Results |access-date=22 June 2012}}{{cite web|url=https://secure.ausport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/350964/APC_media_guide.pdf |title=2010 Vancouver Games Media Guide |publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee |access-date=22 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331061209/https://secure.ausport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/350964/APC_media_guide.pdf |archive-date=31 March 2012 }} The number of Australian athletes increased to three, five, five and six at the next four games, respectively, and all of the athletes were alpine skiers. The participation decreased to four in 1998 and climbed back up to six in 2002.{{Cite news|publisher=International Paralympic Committee |url=http://www.paralympic.org/ipc_results/search.php?npc=AUS&gender=all&medal=all&sport=all&games=1984PWG|title=Athlete Search Results |access-date=22 June 2012}}{{Cite news|publisher=International Paralympic Committee |url=http://www.paralympic.org/ipc_results/search.php?npc=AUS&gender=all&medal=all&sport=all&games=1988PWG|title=Athlete Search Results |access-date=21 July 2009}}{{Cite news|publisher=International Paralympic Committee |url=http://www.paralympic.org/ipc_results/search.php?npc=AUS&gender=all&medal=all&sport=all&games=1992PWG|title=Athlete Search Results |access-date=21 July 2009}}{{Cite news|publisher=International Paralympic Committee |url=http://www.paralympic.org/ipc_results/search.php?npc=AUS&gender=all&medal=all&sport=all&games=1994PWG|title=Athlete Search Results |access-date=21 July 2009}}{{Cite news|publisher=International Paralympic Committee |url=http://www.paralympic.org/ipc_results/search.php?npc=AUS&gender=all&medal=all&sport=all&games=1998PWG|title=Athlete Search Results |access-date=21 July 2009}}{{Cite news|publisher=International Paralympic Committee |url=http://www.paralympic.org/ipc_results/search.php?npc=AUS&gender=all&medal=all&sport=all&games=2002PWG|title=Athlete Search Results |access-date=21 July 2009}} Australia won its first Winter Paralympic medals in 1992, and has medalled at every games since then.{{Cite news|publisher=International Paralympic Committee |url=http://www.paralympic.org/ipc_results/search.php?npc=AUS&gender=all&medal=all&sport=all&games=2006PWG|title=Athlete Search Results |access-date=21 July 2009}} All of the medals have been won in alpine skiing.{{Cite news|publisher=International Paralympic Committee |url=http://www.paralympic.org/ipc_results/search.php?npc=AUS&gender=all&medal=all&sport=all&games=2010PWG|title=Athlete Search Results |access-date=21 July 2010}}Andrews, p. 469.

Australia won four Winter Paralympic medals in 1992—one gold, a silver and two bronze. Michael Milton, an amputee alpine skier, won gold in slalom and silver in super-G. David Munk, a paraplegic sit-skier, won bronze in super-G. Michael Norton, a paraplegic sit-skier, won bronze in the downhill. In 1994, Australia won nine medals, three gold, two silver and four bronze. Milton won gold in the giant slalom, silver in slalom and bronze in downhill and super-G. Norton won gold in the slalom and super-G. James Patterson, a skier with cerebral palsy, won silver in downhill and bronze in giant slalom. Munk won bronze in giant slalom. Different disabilities have separate events, which is why Patterson and Munk both won bronze in giant slalom. In 1998, two medals were won, both by Paterson: gold in downhill and bronze in slalom.

In 2002, the medal haul was seven, consisting of six gold and one silver.{{Cite news|publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee |url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/ParalympicGames/PastGamesWinter.aspx |title=Past Games, Winter |access-date=2009-07-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912233044/http://www.paralympic.org.au/ParalympicGames/PastGamesWinter.aspx |archive-date=12 September 2009 }} Milton made a clean sweep, winning gold in the downhill, super-G, giant slalom and slalom.{{Cite news|publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee |url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/images/12/2002%20Salt%20Lake%20City%20Paralympic%20Games.pdf |title=2002 Salt Lake City Paralympic Games Australian Medalists |access-date=2009-07-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090916053518/http://www.paralympic.org.au/images/12/2002%20Salt%20Lake%20City%20Paralympic%20Games.pdf |archive-date=16 September 2009 }} Bart Bunting, a vision-impaired skier guided by Nathan Chivers,{{Cite news|publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee |url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/AthleteProfile.aspx?AthleteID=48a29c20-68aa-46f3-b29e-aae6d927e9d1 |title=Bart Bunting |access-date=2009-07-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090913000657/http://www.paralympic.org.au/AthleteProfile.aspx?AthleteID=48a29c20-68aa-46f3-b29e-aae6d927e9d1 |archive-date=13 September 2009 }} won gold in the downhill and super-G, and silver in the giant slalom.

In 2006, Australia sent its first female Winter Paralympian, Emily Jansen, a below-knee amputee alpine skier.{{Cite news|publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee |url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/AthleteProfile.aspx?AthleteID=395321c9-2cc9-4cda-815d-cdbac86b45be |title=Emily Jansen |access-date=2009-07-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090913000829/http://www.paralympic.org.au/AthleteProfile.aspx?AthleteID=395321c9-2cc9-4cda-815d-cdbac86b45be |archive-date=13 September 2009 }} James Millar, who was born without his right forearm,{{Cite news|publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee |url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/AthleteProfile.aspx?AthleteID=6a7f16b5-864b-4139-a47e-891fa0f4c399 |title=James Millar |access-date=2009-07-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090913001116/http://www.paralympic.org.au/AthleteProfile.aspx?AthleteID=6a7f16b5-864b-4139-a47e-891fa0f4c399 |archive-date=13 September 2009 }} competed in the cross-country and the biathlon, becoming the first Australian to compete in an event outside alpine skiing. Milton attended his last Paralympics. A target of two medals was set, which took into account the consolidation of disability classes.{{Cite news |publisher=Sydney Morning Herald |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/Sport/Aussie-Paralympians-expect-fewer-medals/2006/03/08/1141701545264.html |title=Aussie Paralympians expect fewer medals |date=2006-03-08 |access-date=2009-07-21}} Australia met this target, with Milton winning silver in the downhill and Toby Kane winning bronze in super-G.{{Cite news|publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee |url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/images/12/2006%20Torino%20Paralympic%20Games.pdf |title=2006 Torino Paralympic Games Australian Medalists |access-date=2009-07-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090916053242/http://www.paralympic.org.au/images/12/2006%20Torino%20Paralympic%20Games.pdf |archive-date=16 September 2009 }}

At the 2010 Vancouver Games, Jessica Gallagher became the first female Australian Paralympian to win a medal with a bronze medal in the Women's Vision-Impaired Slalom event.{{cite web|title=Jessica Gallagher |url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/team/jessica-gallagher-0 |work=Australian Paralympic Committee website |access-date=21 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209233726/http://www.paralympic.org.au/team/jessica-gallagher-0 |archive-date=9 February 2014 }}