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Beijing Winter Paralympics: More medals for Team GB!

Menna Fitzpatrick in action in BeijingImage source, Getty Images

Team GB have just won two more medals at the Beijing Winter Paralympics in China!

Skiers Menna Fitzpatrick with guide Gary Smith, and Neil Simpson with brother and guide Andrew, finished third in their visually impaired super combined events on Monday.

This brings the UK's medal total to five.

The UK are 10th on the medals table so far, with one gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

Neil Simpson, who's 19 years old, won the only gold team GB has so far in the men's Super-G vision-impaired on Sunday. And this is the first Winter Paralympics he's ever competed in!

Image source, Alexander Hassenstein / Getty
Image caption,

Neil Simpson won team GB's only gold so far

Other British para-skiers didn't have as much good fortune.

Shona Brownlee, who was fifth at halfway in the women's seated event, failed to finish her slalom run while James Whitley was disqualified in his super-G run.

What is the super combined visually impaired event?
  • There are five types of ski competition at the Winter Paralympics: downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom and super combined

  • Super combined brings together elements of the other four events

  • In all events the winner is the one who, without missing any gates, has the fastest time over the course (their disability is factored into this score too)

  • Paralympians compete with athletes with similar disabilities - so in the visually impaired competition, athletes with disabilities relating to their eyesight go against one another

  • In this competition, the athletes ski with a guide

  • The other two ski competition categories are standing and sitting