GREAT Britain’s Winter Paralympic team will bid to build on the success of the Sochi Games at the 2018 event.
Yesterday marked 100 days to go until the Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
There is British medal potential on the ice and snow, where visually-impaired skier Kelly Gallagher will be in action after winning a landmark gold in Russia in 2014.
British Paralympic Association director of sport Penny Briscoe said: “What we achieved in Sochi for decades we thought wasn’t possible.
“For Kelly Gallagher to achieve that first gold on snow, across Olympic and Paralympic sport, was phenomenal.
“What’s been quite inspiring is seeing not just how the curlers and skiers have kicked on since Sochi, but there’s a lot more activity in snowboard and, potentially, our first Nordic representation in over 20 years.
“We could have athletes in five different sports in Pyeongchang and everyone involved in para-sport is very excited about that prospect.
“Fast forward to Beijing 2022, and the potential to have sliding sports as well, the Winter Para-sport programme really feels like it’s got potential at the moment.
“In Pyeongchang, hopefully we can build on the success from Sochi.”
Sliding sports bobsleigh and skeleton are in line for inclusion at Beijing 2022, but the immediate focus is on final qualification for Pyeongchang.
Once qualification concludes, Britain is expected to have around 15 athletes at the Games.
There is strength in depth in the visually-impaired skiing department, where Gallagher’s guide is now Gary Smith after Charlotte Evans retired following a series of concussions.
World Championships downhill gold medallist Millie Knight, whose guide is Brett Wild, and Menna Fitzpatrick, who took world giant slalom bronze with her guide Jennifer Kehoe, will also be in action.
Snowboarders Owen Pick and Ben Moore have also won world medals, while James Barnes-Miller is another one to watch.
The British curling team claimed bronze earlier this year at the World Championships which doubled as a Paralympics test event, while both Scott Meenagh and Steve Arnold are seeking qualification in the Nordic events.
“We’d be disappointed if we didn’t feature well on the medal table in Pyeongchang,” Briscoe added.
“But what we shouldn’t forget is there are fine margins, due to the speed and the technicality of the snow events and in curling.
“I hope we’ll be able to convert potential into medals.”
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