Great Britain 'laid down a marker'
Team’s performance hailed
The Great Britain team in Beijing was the biggest since Lillehammer in 1994, with representatives in five of the six sports on the programme.
Great Britain's performances at the Beijing Winter Paralympics have "laid down a marker for the future", says team boss Phil Smith.
"I think the last two Winter Games in Vancouver, Sochi and Pyeongchang have established us as a force to be reckoned with.
"We now haven't just got one or two athletes who can challenge for medals in one or two events. We have lots of athletes across lots of events. That depth and breadth has been brilliant to see and it bodes well for the future," Smith said.
Who won medals for GB?
With Neil and Andrew Simpson winning gold, plus medals for fellow skiers Millie Knight and Menna Fitzpatrick, who is GB's most decorated Winter Paralympian, and for snowboarder Ollie Hill, the team came away with one gold, one silver and four bronze medals.
It may have been one short of the seven won in Pyeongchang, but there were still plenty of reasons to be happy with a host of near-misses.
As well as those who finished on the podium, snowboarders Owen Pick and James Barnes-Miller, plus alpine skier James Whitley and nordic skier Scott Meenagh all secured top-six finishes.
The main disappointment was the performance of the wheelchair curlers who finished eighth in the 11-team round-robin phase, missing out on the semi-finals for the second Games in a row.
However, Smith wants to look beyond the medal tally.
"We never felt we would be defined by the number of medals we won," he said. "Given the backdrop of what has happened over the last two years and the emergence of China, there was so much more around the performance of the team than medals.
"We thought this was our most competitive ever team going out and had more opportunities to challenge the rest of the world in more sports, and that is how played out.
"What we have done this week is laid down a marker for the next four years.
"It has been a privilege to be part of the team and I'm proud of every athlete."
What else happened at the Games?
China's success and the heroics of Ukraine's team were two of the big stories throughout the competition.
The hosts, not previously known for their prowess in winter sports, despite their summer successes, emerged as a powerhouse - helped by massive investment over the past four years.
They won gold medals in five sports and in the sixth, Para-ice hockey, the team formed just five years ago and making their Paralympic debut, won bronze and will be looking to challenge the likes of four-in-a-row winners the United States and Canada in Milan-Cortina in four years.
And from potentially being forced to miss the Games following Russia's invasion last month, Ukraine beat the odds to make it to China before starring in the biathlon and cross-country events winning 29 medals, including 11 gold, to finish second in the medal table.
Medal table from the Beijing Winter Paralympics
There were also a host of history-makers including Canadian cross-country skier Brian McKeever, whose 16th Paralympic gold saw him equal German alpine skier Gerd Schoenfelder as the most successful male Winter Paralympian.
American Oksana Masters won seven medals - three golds and four silvers - across the nordic skiing programme and her total of 14 medals means she now holds the US record for the most career Winter Paralympic medals.
Masters also has three summer Games medals - including two handcycling titles from the rescheduled Tokyo Games.
At the closing ceremony the Paralympic torch was passed from Beijing to Milan & Cortina in Italy
'During the darkest of times, your performances shone brightly'
At the closing ceremony on Sunday International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons praised athletes for their performances, saying "you thrilled, you surprised, you inspired".
At the opening ceremony, China's state broadcaster CCTV, censored Parsons' forceful anti-war speech.
At the closing ceremony he focused on praise for those who took part.
"During the darkest of times, your performances shone brightly. As beacons of hope, and champions for peace, your actions spoke way louder than words," he said.
"In the Paralympic Villages there were different nations, different views, and different abilities. Differences here did not divide us. They united us. Together for a shared future."
"I think the last two Winter Games in Vancouver, Sochi and Pyeongchang have established us as a force to be reckoned with.
"We now haven't just got one or two athletes who can challenge for medals in one or two events. We have lots of athletes across lots of events. That depth and breadth has been brilliant to see and it bodes well for the future," Smith said.
Who won medals for GB?
With Neil and Andrew Simpson winning gold, plus medals for fellow skiers Millie Knight and Menna Fitzpatrick, who is GB's most decorated Winter Paralympian, and for snowboarder Ollie Hill, the team came away with one gold, one silver and four bronze medals.
It may have been one short of the seven won in Pyeongchang, but there were still plenty of reasons to be happy with a host of near-misses.
As well as those who finished on the podium, snowboarders Owen Pick and James Barnes-Miller, plus alpine skier James Whitley and nordic skier Scott Meenagh all secured top-six finishes.
The main disappointment was the performance of the wheelchair curlers who finished eighth in the 11-team round-robin phase, missing out on the semi-finals for the second Games in a row.
However, Smith wants to look beyond the medal tally.
"We never felt we would be defined by the number of medals we won," he said. "Given the backdrop of what has happened over the last two years and the emergence of China, there was so much more around the performance of the team than medals.
"We thought this was our most competitive ever team going out and had more opportunities to challenge the rest of the world in more sports, and that is how played out.
"What we have done this week is laid down a marker for the next four years.
"It has been a privilege to be part of the team and I'm proud of every athlete."
What else happened at the Games?
China's success and the heroics of Ukraine's team were two of the big stories throughout the competition.
The hosts, not previously known for their prowess in winter sports, despite their summer successes, emerged as a powerhouse - helped by massive investment over the past four years.
They won gold medals in five sports and in the sixth, Para-ice hockey, the team formed just five years ago and making their Paralympic debut, won bronze and will be looking to challenge the likes of four-in-a-row winners the United States and Canada in Milan-Cortina in four years.
And from potentially being forced to miss the Games following Russia's invasion last month, Ukraine beat the odds to make it to China before starring in the biathlon and cross-country events winning 29 medals, including 11 gold, to finish second in the medal table.
Medal table from the Beijing Winter Paralympics
There were also a host of history-makers including Canadian cross-country skier Brian McKeever, whose 16th Paralympic gold saw him equal German alpine skier Gerd Schoenfelder as the most successful male Winter Paralympian.
American Oksana Masters won seven medals - three golds and four silvers - across the nordic skiing programme and her total of 14 medals means she now holds the US record for the most career Winter Paralympic medals.
Masters also has three summer Games medals - including two handcycling titles from the rescheduled Tokyo Games.
At the closing ceremony the Paralympic torch was passed from Beijing to Milan & Cortina in Italy
'During the darkest of times, your performances shone brightly'
At the closing ceremony on Sunday International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons praised athletes for their performances, saying "you thrilled, you surprised, you inspired".
At the opening ceremony, China's state broadcaster CCTV, censored Parsons' forceful anti-war speech.
At the closing ceremony he focused on praise for those who took part.
"During the darkest of times, your performances shone brightly. As beacons of hope, and champions for peace, your actions spoke way louder than words," he said.
"In the Paralympic Villages there were different nations, different views, and different abilities. Differences here did not divide us. They united us. Together for a shared future."
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