The Canadian announced her departure from the sport last year shortly after making global headlines at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics by claiming an astonishing five gold medals and setting a record for the most won at a single Winter Paralympics.

The 29-year-old, who was born missing both legs below the knees and one arm below the elbow, participated in three Paralympics.

She won 10 medals, while her remarkable alpine racing CV also includes eight IPC World Cup championships, four IPC World Cup overall Crystal globes, 50-plus IPC wins and 19 Canadian titles.

Waddell, who retired in 2002 after competing in four consecutive Winter Paralympic Games, believes it is such feats that make Woolstencroft nearly impossible to replace.

But he claimed this month's 2011 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Sestriere, Italy, is a chance for a number of skiers to make a name for themselves.

Waddell said: "Certainly there is a lot of turnover and there are a lot of people that retire after a big event like the Vancouver Games.

"Looking at that, there's always that mystery of who are the new people that are going to step up.

"Lauren Woolstencroft is somebody who was dominant in Vancouver and there's a huge void right there.

"The question is who is going to fill that void?

"It's an opportunity for people to start making their mark.

"There's always going to be that turnover of those people who have been there forever and are no longer there."

While a number of the newcomers look to make an impact in Sestriere, Waddell has tipped Germany's multiple Paralympic gold medallist Gerd Schoenfelder to continue winning medals and believes established skiers need no extra motivation when it comes to competing.

"Obviously you are going to have some people who are fixtures, such as Gerd and people like that who have been there since 1992 and are certainly at the top of their game," he said.

"The motivation really is that there's another opportunity to put a stamp on your career.

"There's always going to be new competitions, new hills, and it is all different.

"For every athlete though, if you enjoy it and have fun, you'll probably get your best result."

Even though it's less than a year since the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, Waddell believes a number of skiers will already have one eye on the Sochi 2014 Paralympics when they compete at the World Championships.

"It's a great opportunity for athletes to see how they are and how they perform when everyone is watching," said the American.

"You're in this game to put yourself against the best people and figure out if you're looking into going forward to Sochi and overall it's a great barometer."

Over 130 athletes from 27 countries are expected to compete at the 2011 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships, in what will be the biggest gathering of Paralympic Winter Sport since the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics.

Competition will take place from January 15-23 in the same alpine skiing venue used during the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games.

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