SILVER SUCCESS AND HISTORIC MOMENTS FOR PARALYMPICS GB

ParalympicsGB’s winter athletes delivered a Games defined by resilience, breakthrough moments and valuable experience as the team competed across Para Alpine, Para Snowboard and Para Nordic disciplines.

Among the highlights was a superb silver medal for Scotland’s Neil Simpson and guide Rob Poth in the men’s visually impaired Alpine Combined. Simpson showed impressive pace throughout the competition with two fourth places in Downhill and Super-G, though the week proved a rollercoaster as difficult conditions and two line errors resulted in DNFs in his final two races.

Menna Fitzpatrick, Britain’s most decorated Winter Paralympian, and Scottish guide Katie Guest also showed strong progression across the Games. After opting not to compete in the opening Downhill, the pair began their campaign in the Super-G, delivering a 6th place, before gradually climbing the rankings, finishing sixth in the Giant Slalom and producing their best result with an impressive fifth place in the Slalom.

Elsewhere in the Para Alpine squad, Fred Warburton and Scottish guide James Hannan secured a strong seventh place in the men’s visually impaired Downhill, an impressive achievement given it was Warburton’s first ever race in the discipline. Sam Cozens, competing alongside Scottish guide Adam Hall, also recorded a top-ten finish with seventh place in the visually impaired Slalom on his Paralympic debut. Hester Poole and Scottish guide Ali Hall showed promising speed during their events, but heartbreakingly saw both their races end in DNF’s. Despite the disappointment, the pair will take valuable experience from competing on the Paralympic stage.

ParalympicsGB’s Para snowboarders also made their mark in Cortina. Ollie Hill produced one of the strongest British results in the discipline, finishing seventh in the men’s SB-LL2 banked slalom to secure a top-ten finish. James Barnes-Miller, competing at his third Paralympic Games, placed fifth in the snowboard cross seeding round before racing in the SB-UL events later in the week.

Edinburgh-based Matt Hamilton finished 14th in the SB-UL banked slalom on his Paralympic debut, while Nina Sparks made history as the first British woman to compete in Para snowboarding at a Winter Paralympics, racing in the women’s SB-LL2 banked slalom. Scotland’s Davy Zyw also achieved a historic milestone, becoming the first Winter Paralympic athlete to compete while living with motor neurone disease, finishing 19th in the SB-UL banked slalom and representing an inspiring moment for the Games.

In Para Nordic skiing, Scottish athlete Scott Meenagh represented in both cross-country and biathlon events. Competing in what is expected to be his final Paralympic Games, Meenagh recorded a best finish of 14th place, bringing the curtain down on a pioneering career that helped establish British representation in Para Nordic competition.

With a number of strong top-ten finishes, and a silver medal, it highlighted a team showing promise for the future, with several athletes gaining invaluable experience on the Paralympic stage.