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Paralympics Day 7: Hill takes bronze on Debut Games, Meenagh and Pick with career bests

Paralympics Day 7: Hill takes bronze on Debut Games, Meenagh and Pick with career bests

On a superb day for British athletes in Beijing, Ollie Hill took Snowboard Banked Slalom bronze in a nailbiter, while there were best ever Paralympic Games results for Owen PIck and Scott Meenagh

Ollie Hill rounded out his Paralympic Winter Games debut with a stunning Bronze in the Men’s LL2 Snowboard Banked Slalom. Sitting in third after the first run, Hill’s time was enough to secure him a superb podium spot less than two years after starting out in the sport, and with it take ParalympicsGB’s first ever Snowboarding medal. Sitting just behind him in fourth spot was Owen Pick, who came within tenths of a second of grabbing a podium spot of his own, his time of 1:10.64 coming fractions behind teammate Hill’s 1:10.45, and securing his best ever Paralympic Games finish. Andy MacLeod, meanwhile, rounded off his own Paralympic debut with a solid performance and a top-20 finish.

There was disappointment, meanwhile, for James Barnes-Miller, whose Games finished with a ninth-placed finish in the UL class. He nevertheless finishes the Games with two top-10 finishes under his belt after the fifth spot he took in the Snowboard Cross.

Speaking afterwards, Ollie Hill said:

I’m absolutely stoked. I said earlier in the week I felt I had a bit more confidence in Banked Slalom, and we proved it today. To think I’ve come away with a medal, I cannot put it into words. I wanted to push for the gold, but the second run was a bit slower, the snow was caving in a bit.

I’ve been off social media which has been qite nice but as soon as I get home I’m sure it will go a bit wild. My sisters have helped me so much through this; mum and dad will be so proud too.”

Scott Meenagh‘s impressive showing at the Games continued with a career-best sixth place finish in the Biathlon Individual Sitting. In a race again dominated by the host nation, who took Gold and Bronze, Meenagh’s outstanding performances in Beijing were rewarded with a stunning result, his third time setting a career-best result over the course of the Games, his time of 41:32.5 leaving him more than a minute clear of Dan Cnossen of the USA in seventh. Callum Deboys, meanwhile, posted a gutsy 18th place finish with a final time of 49:53.8.

In the Women’s Giant Slalom, Menna Fitzpatrick took seventh spot in the VI category with Guide Gary Smith, while Millie Knight had to settle for ninth alongside Brett Wild in a race won by Austria’s Veronika Aigner, taking her first Paralympic title.

The Women’s Seated Giant Slalom saw Shona Brownlee finish up in ninth spot, her top-ten finish coming with a combined time across her two runs of 2:32.08.

YANQING, CHINA – MARCH 11: Shona Brownlee competes in the Women’s Giant Slalom Sitting during day seven of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics at Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre on March 11, 2022 in Yanqing, China. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Header Image: BEIJING, CHINA – MARCH 11: Bronze medallist Ollie Hill celebrates after competing in the Men’s Banked Slalom Snowboard SB-LL2 during day seven of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics at Zhangjiakou Genting Snow Park on March 11, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

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