#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.”