A squad of seven went out to Allcudia for the 4th Spanish Para-Badminton International, representing four Para-Badminton Classifications.

3rd-seeded SL4 Mary Wilson came into the competition with the expectation of a bronze medal meeting her singles success from this event last year and coming in as 3rd seed put extra pressure on her to perform. She did not disappoint; coming through her group in second position she faced her French doubles partner Veronique Braud for a place in the semi-finals and a guaranteed bronze medal. In a nail-biting three-setter Mary came out on top with a score line of 21-17, 17-21, 21-19. However, she had to settle for the bronze, losing out to first seeded Katrin Siebert of Germany 12-21, 12-21.

In the doubles and mixed Mary was unable to progress through her group having to pull out of her final game of doubles due to a foot injury.

The second bronze was won by Bobby Laing and Irish doubles partner Andrew Moorcroft in the SS6 Men’s Doubles. Having come out second in their group losing only to the first seeds, the Scots-Irish duo were drawn in the quarter-finals against Rachel Choong and Rebecca Bedford of England where they won 21-12, 21-15, to secure their place in the Semi-Final. This was to be their stopping point losing out in a spot in the final to current World Champions from Honk Kong Man Kai Chu and Chun Yim Wong, 8-21, 8-21 and finishing with a bronze medal.

In the singles Bobby topped his group with two convincing wins, progressing to the 1st round of the knock out where he lost out to Brazilian Vitor Tavares 14-21, 21-23.

In the SL3 Colin Leslie, Scotland’s only competitor in this class, progressed out of his group in second place losing out only to seeded German Pascal Wolter. In the first round of the knock out he was not to be challenged by Englands Mark Waller, winning convincingly and progressing onto the quarter finals, 21-8, 21-4. This victory was to be avenged by Mark’s teammate and 2nd seed Daniel Bethel, with Daniel coming out on top in two sets.

In the SL3+SL4 men’s doubles Colin, playing with England’s Anthony Forester, progressed to the quarter-finals losing out in this round to Thailand and India’s Chawarat Kitchokwattana and Vikram Kumar 14-21, 15-21. Playing in the SL3- SU5 mixed doubles with Megan Hollander from the Netherlands, Colin didn’t make it out of the group stages but not without putting up a fight losing out in 3 sets to final pair of their group.

In the WH2 category Fiona Christie was looking to make her mark in Spain in all three events partnering Laura-Lee Jenkins in the WH1+WH2 ladies doubles and David Follet in the WH1+WH2 mixed doubles. Coming up against tough opponents in the Singles and Ladies Doubles, Fiona failed to reach the knock-out stages, however with a thrilling three-set victory against Russia’s Pavel Popov and Irina Kuzmenko in the mixed doubles, Fiona and David progressed onto the knockout rounds in the mixed doubles. Their journey was cut short here, drawing the number one seeds Jakarin Homhaul and Amnouy Wetwithan, Thailand losing out in two sets.

Also competing in SS6 women’s singles and mixed was Deirdre Nagle, in the SS6 men’s singles and doubles Andrew Davies and in the SL4 mens single’s and doubles Jamie Munro.

#ScotsonParaGB

Day three of the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games provided a much need rest for the Scottish snowsports athletes in PyeongChang. However, the ParalympicsGB wheelchair curlers were back on the ice for back to back matches against Sweden and reigning Paralympic champions Canada.

Wheelchair Curling

Having secured wins against Norway and Finland and suffered a single defeat to Switzerland, the Great Britain rink of Ailien Neilson, Gregor Ewan, Robert McPherson, Hugh Nibloe and Angie Malone MBE knew that two wins on day three of the Games would keep them well in contention for the coveted top four finish in the round robin stage.

It was the best possible start to the day for the ParalympicsGB team as they took two in the first end against Sweden and singles in the next four ends to race into a commanding lead. It proved too much for the Swedish rink who couldn’t recover and Great Britain ran out comfortable winners by 6-1.

They knew that their next match against Canada would be a much sterner test and both teams took to the ice with an identical round robin record of three wins and one defeat.

Brimming with confidence from their win against Sweden, Neilson’s rink made the best possible start and raced into a five shot lead after five ends. Canada rallied to take a single shot with the hammer in the sixth end but Great Britain stormed back to take three in the 7^th end and win the match by 8-1.

This result left Great Britain second in the round robin table equal with Germany and South Korea with four wins and a single defeat after three days of competition. China head the table with an unbeaten record.

A delighted Aileen Neilson commented;

“It’s been a good day at the office, you can’t ask for much more than two victories so we’re really delighted. We’re now at 4-1 which is a really good position to be in. We’re just getting the feel for it more and more, each day we’re reading the ice better, playing the shot better and things are working out, we just want to keep making sure we build on that.

“Any team, if they go out there and play at their best, is going to win the match – we did that against Canada, we played good shots at crucial times and it got us the win.

“We did keep it tight to begin with and that was deliberate, we wanted to see how the ice played, keep as few stones in play as possible and make sure we’re looking after the house.

“You can look at the margin of victory and see it as a lot but it’s not something we focus on too much, this competition is just about getting the wins and making sure we’re taking the performances forward.

“You can learn from losses but we want to be in a position where we’re playing well and winning the game, there is a lot of momentum you can take forward.”

The action continues tomorrow with double silver medallist Brett Wild back on the slopes with Millie Knight for the Super Combined event, Scott Meenagh back in action with the Biathlon 12.5km and the wheelchair curlers facing Slovakia and the Neutral Paralympic Athlete team.

For an overview of Channel 4’s comprehensive coverage of the Games go to;

http://paralympics.channel4.com/news/2018-winter-paralympics-day-day-coverage-guide/

The Torch Trophy Trust Awards are presented annually to nominations from sports governing bodies and sports organisations, to recognise voluntary work for sport and recreation from throughout the UK.  SDS was delighted that Eileen Ramsay from the  Dundee Branch was a worthy recipient  of a Torch Trophy Trust Award which was presented to her in London on Wednesday 7 March 2018  by HRH the Duke of Gloucester.

Eileen is so deserving of the award for all she has done.  She has been actively volunteering with the swimming club she co-founded in 1993, which now boasts a thriving group of 30-40 swimmers. As a volunteer coach, Eileen has contributed effectively to swimmers within the Dundee area.  Eileen had a desire to make a difference for children, young people and adults with a disability wishing to learn to swim or progress on their swimming pathway and what a difference she has made. Eileen has ensured that many children, young people and adults with disability have experienced the joy and exhilaration of leaning to swim especially learners with a severe disability. Through her patience, natural enthusiasm and desire for participants to share her love of swimming she has enabled many swimmers to discover the benefits of swimming in a fun and focused environment. For over 20 years Eileen has ensured that participants have gained the benefits of learning to swim through her great skills, expertise and commitment.

But Eileen does not stop at coaching swimming, she has been the Chair of her local Branch of SDS for the last 12 years, constantly ensuring that the needs of disabled athletes and players were considered by local partners.

She has also been a very active volunteer with Tayside Special Olympics.

She also served as a Board Director of SDS for 8 years.   As a Board member,  she always paid due care and diligence when executing her responsibilities to ensure athletes and volunteers at a local level had a voice on all occasions. She was a huge asset to the SDS management board and carried out her responsibilities with purpose and integrity, always prepared to put the voice of the local athletes first and foremost which is essential for SDS as an athlete centered organisation.

Eileen has put so much back into disability sport as an outstanding swimming coach, a long standing chair of the Dundee Branch, a SDS Board member for eight years and a lifelong champion for sporting opportunities for participants with a physical, sensory or learning disability. We are truly indebted to Eileen for the countless hours she has given to ensure the joy of sport has touched so many peoples’ lives.

Congratulations to Eileen and thanks to the Directors and support staff of the Torch Trophy Trust Awards for providing such a splendid event.

The picture shows Eileen Ramsay with her Torch Trophy Trust Award

#ScotsonParaGB

Day two of the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games once again saw all 7 Scottish members of the ParalympicsGB team in action.

Alpine Skiing

Brett Wild was back in action as guide to Millie Knight for the Super-G fresh from their silver medal in the Downhill event on day one of the Games.

The pair were first to race clocking 1:33.76 to set the bar for the event. They saw ParalympicsGB teammates Menna Fitzpatrick and Jennifer Kehoe record a time of 1:34.54 to secure bronze but it wasn’t to be the gold medal as  Slovakia’s Henrieta Farkasova and Natalia Subrtova, snatched first-place with a stunning run of 1:30.17.

After his second silver medal in two days Brett said:

“Millie has been nervous before but it won’t affect our skiing at all and when she crossed the line she said you were right it wasn’t bumpy at all!

“Because we are attached by headset I can just hear how she’s feeling. I can tell from Millie’s breathing if she’s a bit nervous or anxious from being together for two years and she did brilliantly well today.

“It’s really hard because when you come down first you have no idea because there’s no one to judge it against.

“When we saw Menna and Jen come down and we were ahead of them we knew it was a good run because they beat us in every race this season. Then it was just a waiting game. It’s amazing to be back on the podium today.”

Para Nordic Skiing

Former paratrooper Scott Meenagh had recovered from yesterday’s 7.5 km Biathlon event and was now eager to enter his first Paralympic Cross Country event and the demands of the 15 km race.

After finishing 18th yesterday Scott bettered that result by one , clocking 46:07.4 to finish 17th narrowly missing out on 16th after a sprint to the line with China’s Bitao Huang. After finishing the race, Scott collapsed into the snow confessing he had nothing left in the tank.

After the race, Scott said:

“I really enjoyed that, I gave it everything. I left everything out there today I’m so tired now,”

“It’s probably harder to switch off after the first race than before the first race. I think I was still buzzing last night.

“When you turn the light off that’s when you really start to truly and deeply analyse what went on during the day.

“It’s been amazing and fortunately I managed to get to sleep last night and to be straight back up and onto that buzz today has been unreal.”

Wheelchair Curling

Having secured a fantastic 5-2 win against the reigning World Champions, Norway on day one of the wheelchair curling round robin, Great Britain faced a double header against an experienced Swiss rink and the rink from Finland.

Unfortunately, Great Britain suffered a 7-4 morning-session defeat to Switzerland which meant there was a slight hint of early pressure heading into their evening game with Finland.

After a tense start which saw the teams tied 2-2 after the first three rinks Aileen Neilson’s rink pulled aware to secure an emphatic 9-2 victory.

At the end of a hard day’s competition Aileen commented:

“It would have been nice to be at 3-0 heading into the third day but we’ll certainly take 2-1, we’re still getting used to the venues and used to the stones, you need that time to get familiar with everything so we’re very happy to take a win from that last game.

“Any time you have a defeat you look back at what’s gone. What could we have done better, what didn’t we do so well and what things do we need to change from that?

“We certainly did that after the first game, we perhaps didn’t play at our best and that’s why we lost but we improved as the day went on and got that win.

“It’s always nice to end the day with a win, it gives you time to reflect nicely heading into the evening and be ready to go again the next day in a positive frame of mind.

“Between the games we take a bit of time to rest, put our emotions out there, have a bit to eat and then debrief. Whether we win or lose we know there are things that we can improve on and we’re always looking to do that.

“There are always shots you wish you make, we did enough in this game and hopefully we can build on that for tomorrow.

“This is a long competition where you might not play at your best in every game but that’s something we’ve known at the start.

“You can’t go as hard as you’d like to every game so management is very important, we’ve been training for that with early starts, late finishes and busy days so we’re ready.

“Physically and mentally we’re happy with that, now we just keep plugging on.”

The action continues tomorrow with the wheelchair curlers pitched against Sweden before taking on the much fancied Canadians.

For an overview of Channel 4’s comprehensive coverage of the Games go to:
http://paralympics.channel4.com/news/2018-winter-paralympics-day-day-coverage-guide/

#ScotsonParaGB

Following the spectacular Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games in the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium, Pyeongchang County, South Korea, it was time for Scotland’s 7 athletes within the ParalympicsGB team to focus on the competition for medals on day one of the Games.

Alpine Skiing

Glasgow’s Brett Wild was in action as guide to Millie Knight on day one of the Games in the Downhill, an event that they are the reigning World Champions in having secured the gold medal in Tarvisio, Italy, in 2017.

Knight and  Wild posted a time of 1:30.58 to win silver in the women’s VI Downhill, 0.86 seconds behind Slovakia’s Henrietta Farkasova who took gold with her guide Natalia Subrtova.  Belgium’s Eleonor Sana and her guide Chloe Sana completed the podium with bronze.

After his race Brett said:

“It’s absolutely unbelievable, we’ve had a really challenging season but deep down I knew that if Millie skied the way she could I knew we could do this and even better.

“We’ve got another four races to go though, so let’s keep pushing on.

“We have been working so hard and all season we have been so far away from the top guys and to cross the line and see we were 0.8 seconds behind them, I knew it was a good run because they are normally a few seconds ahead of everyone else.

“It was phenomenal for us to be back where we wanted to be and be back in the mix.”

 

Para Nordic Skiing

Scotland’s Scott Meenagh made his Paralympic debut in the Biathlon 7.5 km Sitting event capping a remarkable transition to the sport for the 29 year old from Cumbernauld. Scott competed in para rowing at an international level and only started Nordic Skiing in December 2014 before making the switch from rowing full time in March 2016.

Meenagh was part of the Paralympic Inspiration Programme four years ago in Sochi and has been determined to make it to the start line at a Paralympic Games ever since.

Scott posted a time of 27:28.1 in the men’s Biathlon 7.5km Sitting, finished 18th overall in his first-ever Paralympic race with a time of 27:28.1, just 3:38.4 behind American gold medallist Daniel Cnossen, with the silver going to Belarus’ Dzmitry Loban while Canada’s Collin Cameron skied to bronze.

 

After his debut race, Scott said:

“It feels amazing, absolutely incredible. Racing out there was such a buzz today, there was a different energy. It’s so different at a Paralympics and to be there with some of the best people in the world was an absolute privilege and it brought another level out of me today.

“I skied aggressively. I came here to ski hard and aggressive. I’m fairly happy with the way that I skied. I dropped a couple of shots on each round which, in my eyes, is not acceptable.

“However, it was my first time and shooting conditions were changing all the time today so we’ll go back and reassess.

“But I won’t be too hard on myself today because that was a huge milestone on my journey.

“Four years ago I was on the Paralympic Inspiration Programme and Paralympic sport just seemed like another level.

“I made a small promise to myself when I watched the welcome ceremony last time that I’d be on the other side of the fence. I didn’t want to be a spectator.

“I’ve achieved that now and I’m incredibly proud of myself. For the rest of the Games I am hoping for more of the same. I want to ski with a lot of intent and ski smart. It was my first ever time at a Paralympics Games today so hopefully I’ll be a little bit calmer next time.”

 

Wheelchair Curling

The all Scottish rink of Aileen Neilson, Gregor Ewan, Robert McPherson, Angie Malone MBE and Hugh Nibloe arrived in PyeongChang in confident mood following their bronze medal in the 2017 WCF World Wheelchair Curling Championships.

They couldn’t have been dealt a more difficult opening match at the 2018 Games as they were paired against reigning World Champions Norway in their opening match.

The Great Britain rink coached by Scotland’s Sheila Swan, dominated the game and ran out winners by 5-2. After losing a shot in the first end, Great Britain rallied and looked the stronger unit taking two shots in the fourth end and singles in the seventh and eighth ends to overpower the World Champions.

 

Look out for further action tomorrow as Brett Wild is back on the slopes for the Super-G, Scott Meenagh goes in the 15 km Cross Country and our wheelchair curlers have a double header against Switzerland and Finland.

For an overview of Channel 4’s comprehensive coverage of the Games go to:
http://paralympics.channel4.com/news/2018-winter-paralympics-day-day-coverage-guide/

In the run in to the opening ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympic Games, SDS is featuring the seven Scottish athletes who will compete as part of the ParalympicsGB team and today we feature Wheelchair Curling and the Great Britain team of Aileen Neilson, Robert McPherson, Gregor Ewan, Angie Malone MBE and Hugh Nibloe.

The sport is governed by the rules of the World Curling Federation (WCF) with one key difference, there is no sweeping, meaning the delivery of the stones has to be even more precise. Teams comprise male and female athletes with a physical impairment in the lower half of their body. This can include spinal-cord injuries, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and double-leg amputation. The team has four players: Lead, second, third and skip, plus an alternate who can come in as a replacement.

The object is to slide stones across the ice, aiming for them to come to a stop on a target, called the house, which is marked by four concentric circles. When an athlete delivers their stone, a team mate holds the wheelchair to eliminate chair movement. The lead delivers the first stone and play continues with each athlete delivering two stones alternating with the opposing team (16 stones in total). The team which places the most stones closest to the centre of the house wins a point for each stone closer that their opponents. Each game is played over eight ends with an extra end played should the teams be tied.

Curling stones are made of smooth granite and must conform to very precise parameters: a circumference of 91.44cm and a height of not less than 11.43cm. The weight including the handle must not exceed 19.96kgs. Delivery of the stone may be undertaken by the conventional arm/hand release or by the use of an extender cue.

Further information relating to wheelchair curling in Scotland can be found at Curling.

Brief History

The first World Wheelchair Curling Championship was held in January 2002 and, in March that year, the International Paralympic Committee granted official medal status to wheelchair curling for mixed gender teams.

Scotland has historically been strong in wheelchair curling: the team were world champions in 2004 and 2005, and secured world silver in 2011 as well as bronze medals in 2002, 2007 and 2017.

At the 2006 Winter Paralympic Games in Turin, the Great Britain team of Frank Duffy, Michael McCreadie, Angie Malone, Tom Killin and Ken Dickson secured an inaugural silver medal following a dramatic last stone defeat to Canada by 7-4.

At Sochi 2014 the ParalympicsGB team, comprising of skip Aileen Neilson, Gregor Ewan, Bob McPherson, Jim Gault and Angie Malone MBE, finished 4th at the end of the round robin matches, having won five and lost four. A semi-final defeat to Russia meant Britain met China in the bronze medal game where they triumphed 7-3.

Following Sochi 2014 the Scottish team suffered a disappointing defeat to Germany in their relegation play-off at the 2015 World Championships in Finland. They subsequently gained promotion back into the top flight of competition, securing 2017 World Championship qualification and a spot at PyeongChang 2018.

At the 2017 World Championships, in the Gangneung Curling Centre which will host them at the PyeongChang Games, the Scottish team won bronze with a 9-5 victory over China.

 Meet the Team

Aileen Neilson

Curling runs in the family for Aileen. Her grandfather and uncle both represented Scotland and she first tried the sport when she was 15 although it was not until 2005 that she started playing competitively.

A year later she joined the Scottish/GB performance programme and made her Paralympic debut at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, becoming the first woman to skip a wheelchair curling team in either the Paralympics or World Championships.

The team were to miss out on a medal at those Games but four years later in Sochi they did not leave empty handed after beating China to win bronze.

A multiple world Championship medallist, including the bronze that Scotland won at the 2017 World Championships in PyeongChang, Aileen is currently a full-time athlete, in a career-break from her usual role as a primary school teacher.

Read Aileen’s athlete profile at https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/aileen-neilson/

Robert McPherson

Robert (Bob) McPherson started playing wheelchair curling in March 2007 and immediately took to the sport before eventually making his international debut at the 2013 World Championships in Sochi where the team finished sixth. On his Paralympic debut at Sochi 2014, Bob was part of the team that beat China to claim bronze.

Bob, who likes to listen to heavy rock and punk music as part of his pre-game ritual, has been a key part of the Scotland team ever since.

Last year he helped the team to World Championship bronze medal in PyeongChang, which remarkably represented his first podium finish at that level.

Read Bob’s athlete profile at https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/robert-mcpherson/

Gregor Ewan

Gregor first tried wheelchair curling in September 2007 at Moray Ice Rink and made his international bow in 2009. He made his debut for ParalympicsGB at Sochi 2014 where he was part of the team that beat China to claim bronze.

He was also part of the Scotland team that claimed World Championship silver in 2011 and bronze in 2017, the latter acting as the test event for PyeongChang 2018.

Away from the rink, three-time Scottish wheelchair curling champion Gregor enjoys handcycling and supports Dundee FC.

Read Gregor’s athlete profile at https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/gregor-ewan/

Angie Malone MBE

Angie first tried wheelchair curling in 2003 and quickly took to the sport. One year later, she was part of the Scotland team that were crowned world champions.

Angie and Scotland retained their world title in 2005 on home ice and she made her ParalympicsGB debut at the Turin 2006 Winter Paralympic Games where the sport made its debut on the winter programme and the ParalympicsGB team won silver. A year later Angie was back on the podium, this time as a World Championship bronze medallist.

In 2010 Angie was part of the ParalympicsGB team that travelled to the Winter Games in Vancouver where they finished sixth. The team bounced back in style four years later however with a bronze medal at Sochi 2014 – Angie’s second Paralympic medal, while she added to her world medal tally last year with bronze.

Angie’s contributions to wheelchair curling were also recognised in 2017 when she was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Read Angie’s athlete profile at https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/angie-malone/

Hugh Nibloe

Hugh turned to wheelchair curling in October 2012. Previously a keen rugby player, having represented Stranraer Academy as a youngster and Wigtownshire RFC before joining the merchant navy, Hugh was no longer able to play rugby after he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

Hugh played in his first Scottish Wheelchair Curling Championships in March 2013 and was part of the Paralympic Inspiration Programme at Sochi 2014 – watching on as his future teammates won bronze. He made his major debut for Scotland at the 2015 Wheelchair Curling World Championships in Lohja, Finland, helping them to an eighth-place finish.

Medals have also arrived in the years since, with silver at the 2016 World B Championships followed by bronze the 2017 World A Championships, which also doubled up as the test event for PyeongChang 2018, where he will make his Paralympic debut.

Read Hugh’s athlete profile at https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/hugh-nibloe/

Sheila Swan (Head Coach)

Sheila, a Level 2 coach, was appointed to lead the Wheelchair Curling programme in June 2015. She is a former World Champion having won the title in 2002 and also won the Scottish Curling Championships for the first time that same year.

Sheila has worked with wheelchair curlers for eight years in a development role and also coached the Scottish team to a World Championships silver medal in 2011 and a bronze medal in 2017.

Great Britain Wheelchair Curling Paralympic History

Sochi 2014

Bronze medal – Team: Aileen Neilson, Gregor Ewan, Bob McPherson, Jim Gault, Angie Malone (alternate)

Vancouver 2010

Seventh – Team: Michael McCreadie, Aileen Neilson, Tom Killin, Angie Malone, Jim Sellar (alternate)

Turin 2006

Silver – Team: Frank Duffy, Michael McCreadie, Angie Malone, Tom Killin, Ken Dickson (alternate)

The funeral of John de Courcy will be held at West Lothian Crematorium, Cousland Wood, Starlaw Place, Off Starlaw Road, Livingston EH54 7FD on Tuesday 13 March 2018 at 1130.

John was a true volunteer and friend to SDS. He was involved with people with a disability from the 1970s and always maintained his links with disability sport. Gavin MacLeod, CEO of Scottish Disability Sport said, “John was a true gentleman and a committed supporter of disability sport Scotland for many years.”

 

 

In the run in to the opening ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympic Games, SDS is featuring the seven Scottish athletes who will compete as part of the ParalympicsGB team and today we feature Para Nordic Skiing and Scott Meenagh.

Para Nordic skiing consists of two disciplines, cross-country skiing and biathlon. Until 2018, Great Britain had not had representation in the sport at this level since the 1998 Paralympic Games in Nagano. Both para Nordic skiing disciplines have medal events for men and women.

Cross country skiers can compete in individual or team, classical or freestyle events ranging from 2.5km to 20km in distance. Visually impaired skiers compete with a guide, while athletes with a physical impairment compete using either a sit-ski or standing using one or two skis and/or poles.

Biathlon combines cross-country skiing and target shooting. Athletes compete in one of three categories: sitting, standing and visually-impaired. Athletes ski three 2.5km legs (7.5km in total) and fire at five targets (located 10m from the shooter) between each leg using air guns that are mounted on stands.

The cross-country events at Sochi 2014 were dominated by the Russian Federation who won 32 of the 60 available medals – 12 gold, nine silver and 11 bronze. Canada and the Ukraine finished second and third on the medal table respectively, with the former winning four gold medals and the latter claiming one gold, six silvers and three bronzes. It was a similar story in biathlon with Russia taking 30 of the 55 medals – 12 golds, 11 silvers and seven bronzes – while the Ukraine finished second in the standings with four golds, three silvers and eight bronzes and Germany were third with two gold and a silver.

Cross-Country skiing first appeared at the Örnsköldsvik 1976 Paralympic Winter Games. Biathlon for athletes with a physical impairment was introduced at the Innsbruck 1988 Paralympic Games. Athletes with a visual impairment were added into the biathlon programme in 1992.

Scott Meenagh was inspired to try Para Nordic skiing after getting a taste of winter sport during Sochi 2014, which he experienced as part of the Paralympic Inspiration Programme.

Prior to that Scott competed in para rowing at an international level. He started Nordic Skiing in December 2014 and made the switch from rowing full time in March 2016. Scott made his competitive debut for Great Britain at the World Cup in Vuokatti, Finland in December 2016.

As a youngster Scott played rugby competitively and represented West of Scotland and Scotland under 18s. He was injured when he stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) while serving in Afghanistan at the age of 21.

Read Scott’s athlete profile at https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/scott-meenagh/

Further information relating to snowsports in Scotland can be found at https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Snowsports.pdf

#ScotsonParaGB

The 2018 Paralympic Winter Games will take place between 9 to 18 March, PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, the Republic of Korea and the ParalympicsGB team competing at PyeongChang will include seven Scots intent on contributing to the medal tally.

Four years ago in Sochi, the ParalympicsGB team had their most successful Games of modern times, winning six medals. In PyeongChang, Great Britain will be represented by a team of 17, the largest representation since the Turin Games in 2006.

In the run in to the opening ceremony at PyeongChang, SDS will be featuring all seven Scottish athletes and we commence today with the sport of Alpine Skiing and Brett Wild.

The Alpine disciplines at the Paralympic Winter Games are downhill, slalom, giant slalom, super giant slalom (super-G) and super combined. Results are factored to take each athletes’ degree of impairment into account when calculating a time. While there are different factors for the different disciplines in each of the three sport classes, the same factors are used for men and women. Athletes and spectators see the factored time after each run. In all events the winning competitor is the one who, without missing any gates, records the fastest factored time over the course.

Downhill: The most spectacular of the para Alpine skiing disciplines. The vertical drop (altitude distance between the start and finish gates) varies from 450m to 800m, with competitors required to pass through a series of red gates that are used as checkpoints during the descent.

Super-G: Developed in the early 1980s as an event between free downhill descent and the giant slalom. Today, it is much closer in terms of speed and technical features to the downhill discipline. Super-G competitions are held on a slope with a vertical drop variation of 400m to 600m, with the course marked with a minimum of 30 alternating blue and red gates, positioned to enforce changes of direction.

Giant Slalom: Gates are closer than those in the speed events and the vertical drop varies from 300m to 400m. The competition is contested over two rounds using the same slope but with different courses. The starting order in the second heat is created by reversing the first 30 classified places from the first heat or, in some cases, the first 15 classified places.

Slalom: The vertical drop difference can vary from 140m to 220m. The competition is carried out over two heats on the same slope but with different courses, in the same way as giant slalom. The number of gates on the course varies. The slalom requires considerable agility and dexterity since the slopes in slalom competitions are very steep, with thick snow often artificially iced in order to avoid any premature deterioration of the competition surface.

Super Combined: An event which incorporates elements from other events but is itself a standalone event. Contested on a single day, it comprises one run of either downhill or super-G and one run of either giant slalom or slalom. The most common format is one super-G run and one slalom run. The times are combined and a ranking list drawn up.

Glasgow’s Brett Wild will compete in PyeongChang as guide to Millie Knight with their confidence high following medal success at the 2017 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships. The duo will compete in the Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Super Combined and Downhill.

Both of Brett Wild’s parents are ski instructors and he started skiing at the age of three while on a family holiday.

A submariner for the Royal Navy, Brett raced for the Scottish junior development squad between the ages of 15-17 and has represented both the Navy and Combined Services teams.

Brett began guiding Millie Knight after a three-day trial in Austria and the pair made their debut together at the World Cup Finals in Aspen in March 2016, where they won the super-G and downhill events as well as finishing third in the giant slalom.

In 2017 the pair claimed an historic downhill victory at the World Championships as well as securing the World Cup title for the same discipline for the 2016/2017 season.

Major results

2017 World Championships, Tarvisio, Italy

Downhill: Gold

Super combined: Silver

Giant slalom: Silver

Slalom: Silver

Read Brett’s athlete profile at https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/brett-wild/

Furthr information relating to snowsports in Scotland  can be found at https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Snowsports.pdf

The opening ceremony for the PyeongChang Games will take place on the 9th March and in the lead up to the Games, SDS will be profiling all the Scots on the ParalympicsGB team. There will also be regular updates during the Games on this site and on social media so keep your eyes peeled.

www.twitter.com/2018WorldBoccia / www.echoarena.com/worldboccia

Tickets have today officially gone on sale for the BISFed 2018 World Boccia Championships.

The World Championships – which is funded by The National Lottery – is set to attract 190 players from 33 countries to Exhibition Centre Liverpool from the 12-18 August 2018. A limited number of early bird tickets are now available and are expected to sell out quickly.

Boccia is a Paralympic sport where the aim is to throw or roll balls closer to the target ball, the jack, than your opponent. All boccia athletes have an impairment that affects all four of their limbs; consequently they play from wheelchairs. It is a sport which requires strategic skill, superb muscle control and precision.

Athletes will battle it out for world titles, as well as crucially important ranking points ahead of the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2020. Hopes are certainly riding high for the British team. Leading the way is David Smith MBE who won gold at the Rio Paralympics in 2016:

“For us as athletes, it’s a huge coup that it is taking place on home turf. Support from a home crowd means everything – we felt it in London 2012 and it was spectacular – and I truly believe that knowing the crowd is willing you on really can lift your performance to another level.

“This is also the first ever international boccia event, outside of a Paralympics, that is ticketed so it is a big moment for the sport. The Championship team is being really innovative in the way it is building a brilliant, spectator-friendly event so if you have never seen international boccia before, here’s your chance. We would really love to see as many of you – schools, clubs, individuals and families – out in force to support us,” added David.

This is a great opportunity to watch world class sporting action ahead of the Paralympic Games in just two years’ time. But the event also aims to create a long-lasting legacy. A family-friendly sports festival showcasing the sport of boccia and the opportunities to play will run alongside the nail-biting sporting action.

Chair of Boccia UK John Dowson explained: “Boccia saw sell-out crowds in London 2012 and Rio 2016. The sport is growing at a terrific pace internationally so we are thrilled to be hosting the BISFed 2018 World Boccia Championships. It’s the largest event on the boccia calendar and we are gearing up to provide an unrivalled experience for both athletes and spectators.”

BISFed is the international federation for boccia. Its President David Hadfield said: “I am very excited that we are bringing international boccia to the city of Liverpool. The World Championships is the most important event outside the Paralympic Games, and with more countries and athletes participating than ever before, I am confident that Boccia UK and its partners will deliver a magnificent tournament.”

Esther Britten, Head of Major Events at UK Sport said: “We invest National Lottery funding into major sporting events to inspire the nation; hosting the Boccia World Championships will play a key part in helping us achieve this. We look forward to working in partnership with GB Boccia, City of Liverpool and ACC Liverpool to bring this pinnacle event to the UK.”

 

Liverpool’s Assistant Mayor and Cabinet Member for culture, tourism and events, Councillor Wendy Simon, said: “Liverpool and sport go hand in hand, and it’s the perfect city to showcase a variety of major sporting events.  In 2018 we are celebrating ten years since our reign as European Capital of Culture, and to mark this the city is staging an incredible programme of events. The Boccia World Championships are an exciting part of this and we look forward to welcoming the passionate fans to our world class venue for an unforgettable competition.”

The BISFed 2018 World Boccia Championships has been made possible thanks to UK Sport’s National Lottery funding through its Major Events Programme.

 

Early Bird Prices:

 

	Early Bird Day Ticket	Booking Fee	Total
Adult	£ 12.00	£ 1.90	£ 13.90
Concession (16yrs+ and over 65)	£  7.50	£ 1.50	£   9.00
Carer	£  0	£ 0	£ 0

 

Full Price

 

	Day Ticket	Booking Fee	Total
Adult	£ 15.00	£ 1.90	£ 16.90
Concession (16yrs+ and over 65)	£   9.00	£ 1.50	£ 10.50
Carer	£ 0	£ 0	£ 0

You can purchase tickets here: www.echoarena.com/worldboccia

Individual Competition: 12th – 15th August
Team and Pairs Competition: 16th – 18th August