Sports Innovation Challenge

Jade Etherington and her guide Caroline Powell have won another Silver medal in Sochi, this time in the Slalom event. This raises Jade’s tally up to 3 medals (2 silver, 1 bronze) with the giant slalom and super-G still to come.

In the same event Millie Knight and her guide Rachael Ferrier came in a fine fifth place, while gold medal winner Kelly Gallagher suffered a fall in her last run.

Team GB’s wheelchair curling team have suffered another of loss, this time to Russia. They currently stand at having won 2 games and lost 2 games in the round robin event.

Read silver for Jade Etherington in the Slalom in full

Kelly Gallagher and Charlotte Evans have won the women’s Super-G (visually impaired) to become GB’s first ever Gold Medal winners at a Paralympic Winter Games. This was coupled with a Bronze medal for Jade Etherington and Caroline Powell in the same event, which will sit well alongside Jade and Caroline’s Silver medal from the visually impaired women’s downhill race on Saturday.

Team GB’s Anna Turney was unfortunate to come fourth in the Super-G (sitting) having suffered quite a large fall in the downhill event on Saturday. Mick Brennan put in a solid performance to finish 10th in the men’s Super-G (sitting) on Sunday.

In the wheelchair curling, Team GB have put their initial defeat by Canada on Saturday behind them to go on and beat Sweden and South Korea in some thrilling matches.

Read Team GB make history at the Paralympic Winter Games in full

Ice Sledge Hockey was developed in Sweden in the 1960’s by two ice hockey fans who did not want their disability to stop them from playing their favourite sport. It first featured at the Lillehammer 1994 Paralympic Winter Games and has quickly become one of the most popular attractions for spectators at the Winter Games. It was not until 2009 that it was determined that female athletes would be allowed to compete. The rules are largely similar to those of conventional ice hockey rules with the major difference being those relating to the sledge.

The sledge consists of a bucket seat mounted on metal frame which runs on two skate blades under the seat and a skid at the front of the frame. The IPC have regulations for the size of the frame, height off the ground, number of cross bars and the design of blade carriers and skids. The players use curved stick similar to those in conventional hockey, but shorter and with the addition of ice picks at the top end to aid propulsion on the ice.

Ice Sledge Hockey is an fast action-packed sport. Sadly the British team did not qualify for Sochi 2014, there is however there is however likely to be some great action on the ice from the 8 competing teams of Canada, USA, Russia, Czech Republic, Norway, South Korea, Italy & Sweden.

Read Ice Sledge Hockey in full

There is a great article on Paralympics.org about the scale of the workshop program Ottobock have setup in Sochi 2014 to help maintain and repair athletes equipment during the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi which are due to begin next week.

Paralympic Heritage Flame Lighting Ceremony

In Stoke Mandeville tomorrow (1st March) there will be a ceremony to light the first ever Paralympic Heritage Flame, to celebrate the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games . The event will be broadcast live on Channel 4 at 18:30. Stoke Mandeville is of course famous as the birthplace of the Paralympic movement. It was in 1948 that Sir Ludwig Guttmann, a German spinal injuries doctor, created the Stoke Mandeville Games, an event that was the forerunner for the Paralympic Games that were first held in Rome, Italy, in 1960.

Read Ottobock Workshops at Sochi & Flame Lighting Ceremony in Stoke Mandeville in full

The sit-ski is a device for athletes with more severe lower limb impairments (spinal cord injuries or double amputations) designed to enable wheelchair users to take part in skiing as both a leisure and competitive activity. Sit-skiing is used to great effect by charities such as Back-Up to assist wheelchair users building their fitness and confidence levels and to encourage a greater level of independence.

A sit-ski consists of a moulded seat mounted on a metal frame with a suspension system beneath the seat to maximise ski-snow contact. Sit-skis can be mounted on a single ski (called a mono-ski) or on two skis (a dual-ski). Athletes use two short outriggers to help with balance and turning.

The IPC rules and regulations for Alpine Skiing state that this equipment meets the following requirements:

Sit Ski

• A sit-ski consists of a moulded seat mounted on a metal frame.
• A suspension system beneath the seat eases riding on uneven terrain and helps in turning by maximizing ski-snow contact.
• A metal or plastic block in the shape of a boot sole is the base that clicks into the ski’s binding.
• A sit-ski can be used in Uni-Ski or Dual-Ski.
• A sit-ski needs a braking device on both sides of the seat.

Outriggers

• Arm crutches with ski tips attached.
• The system can flip out to allow the ski attachment to rise vertically to be used as a normal crutch.

You will see sit-ski’s in use in a number of events during Sochi 2014 including the downhill, super-G, slalom, biathlon and cross-country.

For a glimpse of what to expect here is a video of Sean Rose taking part in the Downhill in Turin 2006, and for an idea of what the future might hold for Olympic sit-skiing then watch this video of Sean in the 2012 X-Games.

Read The Sit Ski in full

As the Winter Olympic Games came to a close yesterday it was a chance to reflect on what an event it has been. there have been highs, Jenny Jones bronze medal in the Snowboard Slopestyle,  Lizzy Yernold’s gold in the skeleton bob. There have been lows, Elise Christie penalised out of the medals in the short track speed skating. There have been thrills, the GB men’s and women’s teams picking up silver and bronze in the curling. And there have been spills, Rowan Cheshire suffering concussion in a training crash, preventing her from competing.

GB Winter sports is set to receive a funding boost from UK Sport as a result of Team GB’s record equaling performance over the last two weeks, this coincides with a popularity boost in Winter sports fueled by the games.

It is not over yet however, as on March 7th Sochi will host the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games. Events will consist of:

• Alpine Skiing
• Biathlon
• Cross-country skiing
• Ice Sledge Hockey
• Wheelchair Curling

Over the next few weeks we shall look a bit more at the athletes, events and equipment involved in these competitions. We shall also look to the future at what events we will be looking out for in the 2018 Winter Paralympics in PyeongChang. and of course we shall be cheering on Millie Knight as she makes her Paralympic debut.

Read Sochi 2014 – Winter Paralympic Games in full