Great Britain at the 1992 Winter Paralympics
Encyclopedia
Great Britain
competed at the 1992 Winter Paralympics
held in Tignes
and Albertville
, France, the first Winter Paralympics to be celebrated concurrently with the Winter Olympic Games
.
The British team entered athletes in all three disciplines contested at the Games; eleven in alpine skiing, four in biathlon and three in cross-country skiing. Five medals were won by British athletes, one silver and four bronze, meaning Britain placed fifteenth in the medal table. This remains Great Britain's second best Winter Paralympic medal total after the 1984 Winter Paralympics
in Innsbruck
, Austria, where the team won ten medals. All five medals were won in alpine skiing events, two by Richard Burt
and three by Matthew Stockford
. In addition to the medal performances the team had fourteen top ten finishes. The achievements of the British Paralympic team at the 1992 Winter Games helped to raise awareness of sports for disabled athletes.
, who could later elect to hold Irish citizenship
under the pre-1999 article 2 of the Irish constitution
, were only eligible to represent Great Britain at this time. However no Northern Irish athletes took part in the Winter Paralympics until 2010 in Vancouver
.
These were the first Games, along with the Summer Games in Barcelona
, to be coordinated by the British Paralympic Association
. Funding for elite training programmes came from the Paralympics Trust, which was set up with a £500,000 government grant.
, the condition may be congenital or sustained through injury or illness; cerebral palsy
; wheelchair
athletes, there is often overlap between this and other categories; visual impairment
, including blindness
; Les autres, any physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other categories, for example dwarfism
or multiple sclerosis
. Each Paralympic sport then has its own classifications, dependant upon the specific physical demands of competition. Events are given a code, made of numbers and letters, describing the type of event and classification of the athletes competing. Events with "B" in the code are for athletes with visual impairment, codes LW1 to LW9 are for athletes who stand to compete and LW10 to LW12 are for athletes who compete sitting down. In biathlon events
, which contain a target shooting component, blind and visually impaired athletes are able to compete through the use of acoustic signals, whose signal intensity varies dependant upon whether or not the athlete is on target.
in the giant slalom
B3 classification and he also won a bronze in the super-G
B3. Burt almost missed his silver medal run when race officials started prematurely resetting the slalom course, but Burt's sighted guide Keith Hockley noticed and took him up the mountain to complete the race. Matthew Stockford
, the reigning world champion in downhill, won three bronze medals in the downhill
, super-G and giant slalom events of the LW10 classification. After Stockford won the bronze in downhill, the British delegation filed a protest claiming that the two American skiers ahead of him should not have been in the LW10 category. The medical committee rejected the protest on the grounds that all classifications had been determined at the start of the competition. Both Burt and Stockford would go on to win medals at the 1994 Winter Paralympics
in Lillehammer
.
Men
Women
Men
. Both Brown and Denton failed to place in the top ten in their individual events.
Men
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
competed at the 1992 Winter Paralympics
1992 Winter Paralympics
The 1992 Winter Paralympics were the fifth Winter Paralympics. They were the first winter Paralympics to be celebrated concurrently with the Olympic Games. They were held in Tignes and Albertville, France, from March 25 to April 1, 1992...
held in Tignes
Tignes
Tignes is a commune in the Tarentaise Valley, Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is also a ski resort near Val d'Isère, that are linked together as the "Espace Killy" region...
and Albertville
Albertville
Albertville is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.-Geography:...
, France, the first Winter Paralympics to be celebrated concurrently with the Winter Olympic Games
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
.
The British team entered athletes in all three disciplines contested at the Games; eleven in alpine skiing, four in biathlon and three in cross-country skiing. Five medals were won by British athletes, one silver and four bronze, meaning Britain placed fifteenth in the medal table. This remains Great Britain's second best Winter Paralympic medal total after the 1984 Winter Paralympics
1984 Winter Paralympics
The 1984 Winter Paralympic Games, were the third Winter Paralympics. They were held from 14 to 20 January 1984 in Innsbruck, Austria. They were the first Winter Games organized by the International Co-ordinating Committee , which was formed on March 15, 1982 in Leysin, Switzerland. These Games were...
in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, Austria, where the team won ten medals. All five medals were won in alpine skiing events, two by Richard Burt
Richard Burt (skier)
Richard Burt is a British former Paralympic skier who won medals at the 1992 Winter Paralympics and 1994 Winter Paralympics.-Paralympics:...
and three by Matthew Stockford
Matthew Stockford
Matthew Stockford is a British former Paralympic skier who won medals at the 1992 Winter Paralympics and 1994 Winter Paralympics. Stockford broke his back in a skiing accident in 1985...
. In addition to the medal performances the team had fourteen top ten finishes. The achievements of the British Paralympic team at the 1992 Winter Games helped to raise awareness of sports for disabled athletes.
Medallists
The following British athletes won medals at the Games. In total five medals were won, all in alpine skiing, and the team finished fifteenth in the medal table. This was the best medal total by Great Britain at a Winter Paralympics since 1984 in Innsbruck. In the 'by discipline' sections below, medallists' names are in bold.| Medal | Name | Sport | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine skiing Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Paralympics Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Paralympics consisted of 48 events, 30 for men and 18 for women.-Medal table:- Medal summary :The competition events were:*Downhill: men - women*Super-G: men - women*Giant slalom: men - women... |
Men's giant slalom B3 | ||
| Alpine skiing Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Paralympics Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Paralympics consisted of 48 events, 30 for men and 18 for women.-Medal table:- Medal summary :The competition events were:*Downhill: men - women*Super-G: men - women*Giant slalom: men - women... |
Men's super-G B3 | ||
| Alpine skiing Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Paralympics Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Paralympics consisted of 48 events, 30 for men and 18 for women.-Medal table:- Medal summary :The competition events were:*Downhill: men - women*Super-G: men - women*Giant slalom: men - women... |
Men's giant slalom LW10 | ||
| Alpine skiing Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Paralympics Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Paralympics consisted of 48 events, 30 for men and 18 for women.-Medal table:- Medal summary :The competition events were:*Downhill: men - women*Super-G: men - women*Giant slalom: men - women... |
Men's super-G LW10 | ||
| Alpine skiing Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Paralympics Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Paralympics consisted of 48 events, 30 for men and 18 for women.-Medal table:- Medal summary :The competition events were:*Downhill: men - women*Super-G: men - women*Giant slalom: men - women... |
Men's downhill LW10 |
Team selection and funding
The team was made up of athletes from the whole United Kingdom; athletes from Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, who could later elect to hold Irish citizenship
Irish nationality law
Irish nationality law is the law of the Republic of Ireland governing citizenship. A person may be an Irish citizen through birth, descent, marriage to an Irish citizen or through naturalisation. Irish nationality law is currently contained in the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship...
under the pre-1999 article 2 of the Irish constitution
Constitution of Ireland
The Constitution of Ireland is the fundamental law of the Irish state. The constitution falls broadly within the liberal democratic tradition. It establishes an independent state based on a system of representative democracy and guarantees certain fundamental rights, along with a popularly elected...
, were only eligible to represent Great Britain at this time. However no Northern Irish athletes took part in the Winter Paralympics until 2010 in Vancouver
2010 Winter Paralympics
The 2010 Winter Paralympics, officially the X Paralympic Winter Games, or the 10th Winter Paralympics, were held in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada from March 12 to 21, 2010. The Opening Ceremony took place in BC Place Stadium in Vancouver and the Closing Ceremony in Whistler...
.
These were the first Games, along with the Summer Games in Barcelona
1992 Summer Paralympics
The 1992 Summer Paralympics were the ninth Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.- Sports :The games consisted of 487 events spread over fifteen sports. Powerlifting and weightlifting were considered to be a single sport...
, to be coordinated by the British Paralympic Association
British Paralympic Association
The British Paralympic Association is responsible for the United Kingdom's participation in the Paralympic Games.-Structure:* President: Tim Reddish, OBE* Chairman: Tim Reddish, OBE* Vice Chairman: Ann Cutcliffe-External links:*...
. Funding for elite training programmes came from the Paralympics Trust, which was set up with a £500,000 government grant.
Disability classification
Every participant at the Paralympics has their disability grouped into one of five disability categories; amputationAmputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
, the condition may be congenital or sustained through injury or illness; cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
; wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
athletes, there is often overlap between this and other categories; visual impairment
Visual impairment
Visual impairment is vision loss to such a degree as to qualify as an additional support need through a significant limitation of visual capability resulting from either disease, trauma, or congenital or degenerative conditions that cannot be corrected by conventional means, such as refractive...
, including blindness
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
; Les autres, any physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other categories, for example dwarfism
Dwarfism
Dwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....
or multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
. Each Paralympic sport then has its own classifications, dependant upon the specific physical demands of competition. Events are given a code, made of numbers and letters, describing the type of event and classification of the athletes competing. Events with "B" in the code are for athletes with visual impairment, codes LW1 to LW9 are for athletes who stand to compete and LW10 to LW12 are for athletes who compete sitting down. In biathlon events
Biathlon at the Winter Paralympics
Biathlon has been contested at the Winter Paralympic Games since the Winter Games in 1988, in Innsbruck, Austria.- Events :- Medal table : NPCs in italics no longer compete at the Winter ParalympicsAs of 2010 Winter Paralympics...
, which contain a target shooting component, blind and visually impaired athletes are able to compete through the use of acoustic signals, whose signal intensity varies dependant upon whether or not the athlete is on target.
Alpine skiing
Eleven British alpine skiers took part in the Games, ten in the men's events and one in the women's. All five of Britain's medals at the Games were won in alpine skiing events. The team's only silver medal was won by Richard BurtRichard Burt (skier)
Richard Burt is a British former Paralympic skier who won medals at the 1992 Winter Paralympics and 1994 Winter Paralympics.-Paralympics:...
in the giant slalom
Giant Slalom skiing
Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but less than in super G....
B3 classification and he also won a bronze in the super-G
Super Giant Slalom skiing
The Super Giant Slalom is an Alpine skiing discipline. It is usually referred to as Super G and is a "speed" event, along with the faster Downhill event; the Giant Slalom and Slalom events are known as the "technical" disciplines.-History:...
B3. Burt almost missed his silver medal run when race officials started prematurely resetting the slalom course, but Burt's sighted guide Keith Hockley noticed and took him up the mountain to complete the race. Matthew Stockford
Matthew Stockford
Matthew Stockford is a British former Paralympic skier who won medals at the 1992 Winter Paralympics and 1994 Winter Paralympics. Stockford broke his back in a skiing accident in 1985...
, the reigning world champion in downhill, won three bronze medals in the downhill
Downhill
Downhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
, super-G and giant slalom events of the LW10 classification. After Stockford won the bronze in downhill, the British delegation filed a protest claiming that the two American skiers ahead of him should not have been in the LW10 category. The medical committee rejected the protest on the grounds that all classifications had been determined at the start of the competition. Both Burt and Stockford would go on to win medals at the 1994 Winter Paralympics
1994 Winter Paralympics
The 1994 Winter Paralympics, the sixth Winter Paralympics, were held in Lillehammer, Norway, from 10–19 March 1994. These Games marked the first time the Paralympic Winter Games were held in the same location as the Winter Olympics, a tradition that has continued through an agreement of cooperation...
in Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
.
Men
| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Bee | Downhill LW6/8 | 1:22.18 | 14 |
| Giant slalom LW6/8 | 2:56.54 | 9 | |
| Slalom LW6/8 | 2:28.15 | 13 | |
| Phillip Brownstein | Downhill LW11 | 1:32.47 | 8 |
| Giant slalom LW11 | 3:24.20 | 7 | |
| Super-G LW11 | 2:10.17 | 8 | |
| Slalom LW11 | 1:49.88 | 10 | |
| Richard Burt Richard Burt (skier) Richard Burt is a British former Paralympic skier who won medals at the 1992 Winter Paralympics and 1994 Winter Paralympics.-Paralympics:... |
Giant slalom B3 | 2:41.06 |  |
| Super-G B3 | 1:38.16 |  |
|
| Chris Clarke | Giant slalom LW2 | 3:17.43 | 18 |
| Mark Golay | Downhill LW11 | 1:36.36 | 9 |
| Giant slalom LW11 | Did not finish | ||
| Super-G LW11 | 2:28.74 | 12 | |
| Michael Hammond | Downhill LW2 | 1:22.56 | 15 |
| Giant slalom LW2 | 2:55.24 | 14 | |
| Slalom LW2 | 1:26.15 | 9 | |
| Brian Harding | Downhill LW10 | Did not finish | |
| Giant slalom LW10 | Did not finish | ||
| Super-G LW10 | 2:00.95 | 5 | |
| Jonathan Morris | Downhill LW2 | 1:27.34 | 21 |
| Giant slalom LW2 | 1:58.12 | 19 | |
| Graham Nugent | Giant slalom LW1,3,5/7,9 | Did not finish | |
| Slalom LW1,3,5/7,9 | 3:43.24 | 15 | |
| Matthew Stockford Matthew Stockford Matthew Stockford is a British former Paralympic skier who won medals at the 1992 Winter Paralympics and 1994 Winter Paralympics. Stockford broke his back in a skiing accident in 1985... |
Downhill LW10 | 1:32.46 | |
| Giant slalom LW10 | 3:10.70 | |
|
| Super-G LW10 | 1:48.19 | |
|
| Slalom LW10 | 2:13.61 | 4 | |
Women
| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christine Blackmore | Downhill LW10-11 | 1:53.08 | 5 |
| Giant slalom LW10-11 | Did not finish | ||
| Super-G LW10-11 | 2:32.09 | 4 | |
| Slalom LW10-11 | 2:31.00 | 5 | |
Biathlon
Four British men competed in biathlon events, all of them in the visually impaired classifications. None of the athletes won a medal, the highest placed finisher being Peter Young who came sixth in the B1 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi). Young, James Brown and James Denton also competed in cross-country skiing events at the Games.Men
| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Brace | 7.5 km B1 | 37:16.5 | 10 |
| James Brown | 7.5 km B2-3 | 27:16.5 | 13 |
| James Denton | 7.5 km B2-3 | 30:49.7 | 17 |
| Peter Young | 7.5 km B1 | 29:17.2 | 6 |
Cross-country skiing
Three British men took part in cross-country skiing at the 1992 Games; all three also competed in biathlon events. Each athlete entered both the 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) and 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) for their classification and all three teamed up for the B1-3 3×5 kilometres (3.1 mi) relay, in which the team finished last out of the five competing nations. Peter Young achieved the best finish in an individual event, sixth place in the 10 km B1, he had previously won a bronze medal in the event at the 1984 Innsbruck Games1984 Winter Paralympics
The 1984 Winter Paralympic Games, were the third Winter Paralympics. They were held from 14 to 20 January 1984 in Innsbruck, Austria. They were the first Winter Games organized by the International Co-ordinating Committee , which was formed on March 15, 1982 in Leysin, Switzerland. These Games were...
. Both Brown and Denton failed to place in the top ten in their individual events.
Men
| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Brown | 10 km B3 | 36:57.7 | 14 |
| 30 km B3 | 1:52:48.1 | 15 | |
| James Denton | 10 km B2 | 42:44.3 | 16 |
| 30 km B2 | 2:02:50.1 | 16 | |
| Peter Young | 10 km B1 | 37:58.3 | 6 |
| 30 km B1 | 1:47:39.7 | 7 | |
| James Brown, James Denton, Peter Young |
3x5 km relay B1-3 | 58:56.4 | 5 |