Record breaking Sochi Winter Paralympics 'phenomenal experience for the Paralympic movement'

The Great British Paralympic team has returned home from Sochi 2014 after becoming the most successful GB team to have competed in the Paralympic winter games ever, finishing 10th place after winning six medals at the ten day event.

ParalympicsGB reported an increase of 284 per cent in Twitter mentions and an amazing 494 per cent in in people talking about their successes on social media site Facebook.

Performance director and chef de mission Penny Briscoe of the British team at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games said: “I am so delighted for the team, they have truly done our nation proud. They have put in some outstanding and historic performances on the snow and on the ice, and I feel honoured to have led a team that has been absolutely world-class.

“Sochi 2014 has been an exceptional Games all round. I said going into the Games that these were ‘the Games of Opportunity’, a chance for winter Paralympic sport to come of age, to inspire disabled people to consider taking up adaptive skiing, wheelchair curling or the other winter sports and to obtain some of the profile that their summer sport counterparts achieved in London.

“This group of athletes have shown what is possible in this environment and I hope that, moving forwards ParalympicsGB will be even stronger in PyeongChang.”

Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of the British Paralympics Association, added: “This has been a phenomenal experience for all concerned with the British team, and indeed for the Paralympic movement.

“After the huge leap forward provided by London, the Sochi Games have shown the world how magnificent our winter athletes are too. I would like to extend my congratulations to all our athletes and profound thanks to everyone involved in supporting the team. It has been a fantastic team effort and we couldn’t be prouder of the results.”

Great Britain exceeded their UK sport target of ‘at least two medals’ after Team GB’s curling team added a bronze to the medal tally. This accompanies the four medals won by Jade Etherington and the gold achieved by Kelly Gallagher, the 2014 Paralympic team is now the most successful Great British team ever to have participated in the Paralympic games.

The achievements are extra special as it has been revealed the Paralympic team received around £800,000 in funding for Sochi, compared to the £13.4m of funding given to the winter Olympic team.

Funding hopes

The success has led people to speculate over the future funding and both Ms Etherington and Ms Gallagher have called for more funding to be assigned to Paralympic winter sport to maintain and improve the team for PyeongChang 2018.

On the topic of funding, Mr Hollingsworth also told BBC Radio 5 live: "I will be arguing for a good look at how our Winter Paralympians can go forward to the next games with funding that will not only match these incredible performances but help move them on."

A decision will be made in July on the allocation of funding for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games.

Gold at Sochi

During the ten day event Paralympic athlete Kelly Gallagher claimed Great Britain’s first ever gold medal in the women’s visually impaired Super-G event during day three of the Sochi Winter Paralympics.

Ms Gallagher has a condition called oculocutaneous albinism, affecting the pigments in her hair, skin and eyes, and has been skiing since she was 17.

She has now become the first ever athlete to win gold on snow for team GB from either Olympic or Paralympic Winter Games.

On the day of her win, Ms Gallagher said: “I'm so delighted to be part of such a unique and historical moment for British Paralympic sport and I can't wait to see more disabled skiers out on the mountain now.

“It's been a difficult journey here and we are so happy to have had so much support from the very start. Today has proven to me that hard work and self-belief really does pay-off.

“I'm delighted, it is so good to have such a great reward for all my and Charlotte's hard work. I couldn't have done it without Charlotte's constant determination and talent. She's a star!”

The athlete reached speeds of up to 100km/h skiing down the course and used a Bluetooth headset to communicate with her guide Charlotte Evans, who she has been working with since 2010.

On her win, Ms Evans said: “It hasn't sunk in yet, and I think it's going to take a while to! All I know is it feels great and I couldn't ask for more. I'm proud to be representing my country and I'm so proud to be Kelly's guide.”

After finishing last in the downhill event on day one, Ms Gallagher faced the disadvantage of coming out first for the second race, but was able to set a time of 1:28.72 that was never beaten.

Fellow Paralympian, Tim Farr praised Kelly Gallagher’s win and said it will provide a big boost to the sport. Mr Farr was a teammate of Ms Gallagher’s at the 2010 Winter Paralympics and was also part of Channel 4's coverage of the Sochi games.

Mr Farr told Channel 4: “This result is huge. With gold and three medals in total for us in the skiing, there should definitely be an increase in UK Sport funding.

“Hopefully a lot of people will now sit up and take notice of the sport and we’ll see an increase in both interest and the numbers taking part.”

Record breaking games

The Paralympic winter games also saw Jade Etherington and her guide Caroline Powell win a record four medals, breaking the record previously held by Denise Smith who won three silver medals in the 1984 Innsbruck winter Olympics. The record breaking fourth medal was won in the Women’s VI Super Combined event.

Ms Etherington and Ms Powell’s second medal was secured on the same event as Kelly Gallagher’s Gold win, with Ms Etherington winning a bronze medal, despite a collision with a gate just after the halfway point of the race.

Ms Etherington and her guide Caroline Powell finished with a time of 1:29.76 which meant they were able to beat the defending Paralympic champion to secure the bronze medal.

At the event, Ms Etherington said: “After the run that we had I'm really happy. I had a little wobble off the lake jump and hit a gate, so I'm happy to have a medal after that mistake.”

Ms Powell added: “We're very proud of Kelly and Charlotte for their gold, they were awesome.”

Paralympic movement

It is hoped the success of the games will now inspire more disabled people to look into sports and activities and promote a change in the perspective of people living with a disability throught communities across the country.

Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of the British Paralympics Association said: “Part of this has been the great work of Channel 4, the BBC and the mainstream media in providing more coverage of a Winter Games than ever before. This must continue to grow and we will be as focused on our ambition for PyeongChang 2018 now as we are for Rio and every Games going forward.”