It was day 5 for the Scottish athletes competing for ParalympicsGB at the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games and it was a day when history would be made for one Scottish athlete.
Para Nordic Skiing
History was made in a tough morning for Scotland’s cross-country skiers as Callum Deboys and Hope Gordon narrowly missed out on qualification for the sprint semi-finals.
It was 17th place for Hope, who took her place in the history books by becoming ParalympicsGB’s first ever female Para Nordic skier.
Commenting on her achievement, Hope said: “I’m just happy to have got round it in one piece, I would definitely have liked a little bit more but equally I’m quite realistic with my expectations and this morning I told myself ‘I’m not going to be too hard on myself’ and I’m going to try and stick to that because just to be here is so much more than I thought could be achieved within the time I’ve been in the sport,”
“I think it has been a really quick whirlwind but I think as well, all the training I’ve done in however many years before that is the reason why I’m here and it just so happens that I’ve been able to use that for this sport.
“I’ve got the 7.5km on Saturday, never done one of them before, so not really got a huge amount of expectations, once again just try and get round it, it’s 7,300 metres longer than I’m used to racing.”
A piece of history overnight in the cross-country skiing…@HopeGordon_ becomes our first ever female Para Nordic skier, while former sailor and ice hockey player @StephenThomas99 made his Beijing debut in his THIRD Paralympic sport. ?#WinterParalympics#ParalympicsGB ??
— ParalympicsGB (@ParalympicsGB) March 9, 2022
Callum placed 22nd in qualification but unfortunately it was only the top 12 who progressed through to the semi-final stages.
After his race Callum said: “For me and where I am that’s as good a result as I can get just now, it’s a super tough field, take nothing away from the rest of the athletes out there today it is a tough field in cross country, but for me and where I’m at I’m over the moon with that result,”
“It’s a lot in this environment and it’s quite overwhelming so I’m just trying to soak everything up and enjoy myself and get as much experience as I can with a view to the next Games.”
Wheelchair Curling
There was drama on the ice in Scotland’s first match of the day when David Melrose was stretchered from the Ice Cube following a freak accident when he fell from his chair while reaching for a delivery stick in the defeat against Canada. The accident saw Gary Smith take to the ice following his Paralympic debut the night before with the match delicately poised at 2-2 at the halfway stage.
Skip Hugh Nibloe said: “It did effect us we are a close-knit bunch and it’s never easy to see anyone you care about taken away on a stretcher. The most important thing is that he is ok
Both teams had similar records going into the crucial round robin, having both lost three matches, although Canada had one more victory.
Hugh Nibloe was back in the team as Skip as ParalympicsGB began the match scoring one in the first end and a steal in the second to lead 2-0. It was a cagey affair with Canada then scoring one in the next end.
Canada took a 6-3 lead going into the final end with the match eventually conceded by Skip Hugh Nibloe. Defeat leave ParalympicsGB’s Wheelchair Curlers needing to win their remaining matches to keep qualification for the semi-finals in their own hands.
After the match Hugh said: “Its easy now we have got to go out and win our last three games – no ifs, no buts we want to put on a performance for David and give him something to smile about.”
In their second match of day 5 of the Games, Paralympics GB faced Korea in a must win encounter. With David Melrose ruled out due to injury Gary Smith joined skip Hugh Nibloe, Gregor Ewan and Meggan Dawson-Farrell for the crucial tie.
Korea scored three with the hammer in the opening end and ParalympicsGB scored one in the next but Korea then replied with two to take a 5-1 lead.
The British team hit back with a two in the seventh and in the final end the tension really built before Sunghun Jung produced a wonderful shot to win the match 8-6 and end ParalympicsGB’s hopes of reaching the last four.
Skip Hugh Nibloe said: “It’s disappointing, it’s not what we came here for to finish up so early. We are quite a young team, with three players at their first Paralympics, other teams have played together for years and years. Other teams have punished us and we have not been as clinical in punishing them.”
Tomorrow will see Neil and Andrew Simpson back in action in the Giant Slalom and the wheelchair curlers back on the ice to face China and Latvia.
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