OFFICIAL PARTNER Hogan Lovells and the British Paralympic Association

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1 OFFICIAL PARTNER Hogan Lovells and the British Paralympic Association Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games 7 16 March

2 2 Hogan Lovells and the British Paralympic Association Hogan Lovells is the official legal services provider to the British Paralympic Association (BPA). Hogan Lovells has a long-standing relationship with the BPA that has existed since before the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. Throughout this period, including during the 2012 London Paralympic Games, Hogan Lovells has given legal advice, secondments and volunteering to the BPA in a number of areas through London-based commercial partner Richard Welfare. As the BPA s Official Legal Services provider, Hogan Lovells will continue to supply legal support to the organisation across all areas as the BPA prepares to send teams to compete at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games and subsequently the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. We have an active programme of engagement with clients and other groups around our relationship with the BPA and are keen to identify joint areas of working where possible. About the BPA The BPA is the National Paralympic Committee for the UK, responsible for the promotion of the Paralympic movement in Great Britain and selecting, entering and funding the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Paralympic team, known as ParalympicsGB. The BPA is proud of its tradition of outstanding performance at the Paralympic Games: ParalympicsGB finished second in the medals table at three consecutive summer Paralympic Games and won 120 medals at London 2012.

3 3 Paralympic Winter Games Winter sports for disabled people emerged after World War II, as many injured service-men sought to return to the slopes. The first Paralympic Winter Games took place in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden in participants from 16 countries competed in Slalom and Giant Slalom and three distances in Nordic Skiing. Downhill was added to the Paralympic programme in 1984 in Innsbruck, Austria, and Super-G was added in 1994 at Lillehammer, Norway. Sit-skiing or mono-skiing was introduced as a demonstration sport at the Innsbruck 1984 Paralympics and became a medal event at the Nagano 1998 Paralympic Games. Ice Sledge Hockey first featured at the Lillehammer 1994 Paralympic Games and has quickly become one of the most popular attractions for spectators at the Winter Games. The final sport on the current Paralympic Winter Games programme, Wheelchair Curling, was added in 2006 for the Games in Turin, Italy, following the first World Wheelchair Curling Championships that took place in The most recent Paralympic Winter Games, Vancouver 2010, was attended by 500 athletes from 42 nations. They were viewed as the best Paralympic Winter Games yet. Norway topped the gold medal table, with 134 golds. Great Britain has competed in all 11 Paralympic Winter Games, winning six silver and 15 bronze medals, and is searching for the elusive gold in 2014.

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5 5 Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games Russia is the host nation for the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, with an expected 700 athletes from 45 countries taking part. The sports are: Alpine Skiing Alpine Skiing is practiced worldwide and features seven disciplines: Downhill, Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Super Combined, Team Events and most recently Snowboard. Athletes combine speed and agility while racing down slopes at speeds of around 100 km/h. Competition accommodates male and female athletes with a physical impairment such as spinal injury, cerebral palsy, amputation, les autres conditions (other conditions) and visual impairment. Athletes compete in three categories based on their functional ability, and a results calculation system allows athletes with different impairments to compete against each other. Skiers with visual impairment are guided through the course by sighted guides using signals to indicate the course to follow. Some athletes use equipment that is adapted to their needs including single ski, sit-ski or orthopaedic aids. IPC Alpine Skiing acts as the International Federation for the sport which is coordinated by the IPC Alpine Skiing Technical Committee. Six events are on the Paralympic Program: Downhill, Super-G, Super Combined, Giant Slalom, Slalom and Snowboard which will make its debut at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

6 6 Biathlon Biathlon was introduced in Innsbruck in 1988 for athletes with a physical impairment; in 1992, athletes with a visual impairment also became eligible to compete. The Lillehammer 1994 Paralympic Winter Games marked several other milestones in the history of Paralympic Nordic Skiing. Biathlon was introduced as a medal event for men and women, and for the first time Nordic skiers competed at the same venue used for the Olympic Winter Games. The event combines Cross-Country Skiing with Target Shooting, and consists of a 7.5km route divided into three 2.5km stages. Between the two stages athletes must hit two targets located at a distance of 10m. Each miss is penalized by an increase in the overall route time. The most important success factor lies in the capability of alternating the skills of physical endurance and shooting accuracy during the competition. Athletes with visual impairment are assisted by acoustic signals which, depending on signal intensity, indicate when the athlete is on target. The sport is governed by the IPC with coordination by the IPC Nordic Skiing Technical Committee following the modified rules of the International Biathlon Union (IBU). Although there are no ParalympicsGB athletes competing in Biathlon at the Sochi 2014 Games, it is sure to be an exciting event for home nation Russia who traditionally dominates in the Nordic Skiing disciplines.

7 7 Cross-Country Skiing Cross-Country Skiing first appeared at the 1976 Paralympic Winter Games in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The competition is open to athletes with a physical impairment and visual impairment. Depending on their functional impairment, a competitor may use a sit-ski, a chair equipped with a pair of skis. Athletes with visual impairment compete in the event with a sighted guide. Male and female athletes compete in short distance, middle distance and long distance (ranging from 2.5km to 20km) or participate in a team relay using classical or free techniques. Cross-Country Skiing is governed by the IPC with co-ordination by the IPC Nordic Skiing Technical Committee following modified rules of the International Ski Federation (FIS) and is practiced by athletes in 24 countries. Men and women used the classical technique in all cross-country distances until skating was introduced by athletes at the Innsbruck 1984 Paralympic Winter Games. Since then, events have been split into two separate races: classical and free technique. The new technique, however, was not officially used in a medal race until 1992 in Albertville, France.

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9 9 Ice Sledge Hockey Since its debut at the Lillehammer 1994 Winter Games, the Paralympic version of Ice Hockey has quickly become one of the largest attractions for spectators. It is fast-paced, highly physical and played by male athletes with a physical disability in the lower part of the body. The sport is governed by the IPC with coordination by the IPC Ice Hockey Technical Committee. It follows the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) with modifications. Instead of skates, players use double-blade sledges that allow the puck to pass beneath. Players use two sticks, which have a spike-end for pushing and a blade-end for shooting. A direct descendant of Ice Hockey, Ice Sledge Hockey was invented at a rehabilitation centre in Stockholm, Sweden, during the early 1960s by a group of Swedes who, despite their physical impairment, wanted to continue playing hockey. The men modified a metal frame sled, or sledge, with two regular-sized Ice Hockey skate blades that allowed the puck to pass underneath. Using round poles with bike handles for sticks, the men played without any goal tenders on a lake south of Stockholm. The sport caught on and, by 1969, Stockholm had a five-team league that included players with a physically impairment and able-bodied players. Two Swedish national teams played an exhibition match at the inaugural Örnsköldsvik 1976 Paralympic Winter Games in Sweden.

10 10 Wheelchair Curling Wheelchair Curling is the Paralympic equivalent of Curling with the difference lying in the way the players move around the field of play and handle the stone. Most notably there are no sweeping techniques used, meaning the sport is not less tough physically and even more complicated technically than Curling itself. The sport is governed by the same organisation in charge of Curling the World Curling Federation (WCF). The sport is open to male and female athletes who have a physical disability in the lower half of their body, including spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and double-leg amputation. Teams are comprised of both men and women, and the sport is now practiced in 24 different countries. The first World Wheelchair Curling Championship was held in January 2002, and in March that year, the International Paralympic Committee granted official medal status to Wheelchair Curling for mixed gender teams. The sport made its Paralympic debut in Turin in 2006 with eight teams participating. The number of teams competing in the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games was increased to ten.

11 11 ParalympicsGB and Sochi 2014 The ParalympicsGB team will be participating in two sports at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games: Alpine Skiing and Wheelchair Curling. Details of the competitors are set out below. Alpine Skiing athletes and competition partners Mick Brennan Events: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G Home Town: Doncaster Lives: Bircotes, near Doncaster Date of Birth: 29/10/1979 Mick started to learn adaptive skiing in November 2008 as part of his rehabilitation programme at Headley Court, following an accident while on military duty in Iraq in November After joining the Combined Services Disabled Ski Team (CSDST) he went on to join the BDST Development Squad and he made his international debut for GB in Ben Sneesby Events: Slalom, Giant Slalom Home Town: High Wycombe Lives: High Wycombe Date of Birth: 26/06/1994 Ben first tried skiing on a dry ski slope when he was 11 years old and quickly took to the sport. Aged 13, he was talent spotted and was invited to become one of the first members of the BDST Youth Development Squad. He deferred his studies in Sports Science at Sheffield Hallam University to focus on Skiing. In his first full season of racing he scored four top 10 finishes and qualified to race at Europa Cup level in all five disciplines. Ben also plays Wheelchair Basketball for the MK Aces and won three medals at the 2009 National Junior Championships. More recently, he captained the England South Wheelchair Basketball team at the 2013 Sainsbury s School Games.

12 12 Anna Turney Events: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Downhill Home Town: Northampton Lives: Warwick Date of Birth: 05/07/1979 Games Attended: Vancouver 2010 Anna was a promising Snowboard racer when, in 2006, she broke her back while competing. The following year, she returned to the slopes and took up sit-skiing, joining the BDST Development Team in She made her GB debut at the NORAM races in Canada in At the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, Anna made her debut for ParalympicsGB where she ranked 6th in the Slalom. Since then, Anna has continued to train and compete, narrowly missing out on a medal at the 2011 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Sestriere, Italy, when she finished 4th in the Giant Slalom. James Whitley Events: Slalom, Giant Slalom Home Town: Wilmington, East Sussex Lives: Wilmington, East Sussex Date of Birth: 17/11/1997 James has been skiing since he was four years old and made his international debut when he was 11. He has also represented both his school and Courchevel, where he trains, in non disabled competition, winning six cups. Since being recruited to BDST, James has made great progress and is World Cup qualified in Slalom and Giant Slalom. In 2013, he competed in his first major international, the IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in La Molina, Spain, where he ranked 16th in the Giant Slalom. He finished the 2012/13 season by winning his first senior medal, a bronze in Giant Slalom at Chamrousse, France.

13 13 Jade Etherington Events: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Downhill Home Town: Lincoln Lives: Lincoln Date of Birth: 09/03/1991 Jade first tried skiing during a family holiday when she was eight years old. She skied recreationally for 10 years before joining the BDST Development Squad in At the 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in La Molina, Spain, Jade produced some strong performances and secured a bronze medal win in the Super-G. She also won silver in the Super-G at the Paralympic Test Event in Sochi. Jade is a trainee teacher. Caroline Powell (Guide to Jade) Events: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Downhill Home Town: Basildon Lives: Basildon Date of Birth: 29/06/1994 Caroline first went skiing when she was just two years old and soon got hooked on the adrenaline rush from racing. She made her England debut in January 2010 at Champery Les Crosets in Switzerland. Caroline is a qualified BASI Level 2 Adaptive/Alpine instructor and her ambition is to gain the highest possible qualifications in ski instruction and coaching. She began training alongside Jade Etherington in April 2013.

14 14 Kelly Gallagher Events: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super Combined, Super-G, Downhill Home Town: Bangor, County Down Lives: Bangor, County Down Date of Birth: 18/05/1985 Games Attended: Vancouver 2010 Kelly tried Alpine Skiing for the first time on a trip to Andorra when she was 17 years old. She developed a real love for the sport and was accepted onto the BDST Development Squad in In August 2009, she made her international debut at the Winter Games in New Zealand. The next year, Kelly became the first athlete from Northern Ireland to compete at the Paralympic Winter Games when she made her debut in Vancouver. With her guide, Claire Robb, she placed 6th in Slalom and 4th in Giant Slalom. She began working with guide Charlotte Evans in late 2010 and went on to win silver and bronze at the 2011 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Sestriere, Italy, becoming the first British athlete to secure a medal at that level. Since then, Kelly and Charlotte have won medals in all disciplines in both Europa Cup and World Cup competitions. Charlotte Evans (Guide to Kelly) Events: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super Combined, Super-G, Downhill Home Town: Chatham, Kent Lives: Chatham, Kent Date of Birth: 29/03/1991 Charlotte first tried skiing as a youngster, when her Dad took the family to a dry ski slope. She quickly took to the sport and progressed to snow. By 2009, she was part of the England Alpine Ski Team and English overall champion before she got injured while competing at the British Championships. Whilst going through rehab, Charlotte was working as a coach when she was asked to consider being a Guide. She began working with Kelly Gallagher at an Alpine Skiing Training Camp in Hintertux in November Charlotte made her international debut for GB alongside Kelly at the 2011 IPC World Championships in Sestriere, Italy, where they won silver in the Slalom and bronze in the Giant Slalom. They built on this success to win four medals from five events at the 2013 IPC World Championships in La Molina, Spain, and they also won gold at the 2013 World Cup Final in Sochi, Russia.

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16 16 Millie Knight Events: Slalom, Giant Slalom Home Town: Canterbury Lives: Canterbury Date of Birth: 15/01/1999 Millie first tried Alpine Skiing in 2006 while on holiday in France. She was encouraged by her mother, who acted as her guide in the first IPCAS races she competed in after joining the BDST Development Squad in November In spring 2013, Millie began working with her current guide, Jen Kehoe, and raced at Europa Cup level in Slalom and Giant Slalom. Millie manages her training alongside her studies and is working towards her GCSEs. Rachael Ferrier (Guide to Millie) Events: Slalom, Giant Slalom Home Town: Kilmacolm Lives: Kilmacolm Date of Birth: 09/01/1996 Rachael first tried skiing at Glasgow Ski Centre in July 2003 when she was seven years old. She made her international debut when she began working with Millie in November In January 2014, they won two gold medals in the Slalom at an IPCAS event in Rinn, Austria. Rachael is a qualified BASI Level 2 and UKCP Level 1 ski instructor.

17 17 Wheelchair Curling athletes Gregor Ewan Home Town: Dundee Lives: Elgin, Morayshire Date of Birth: 28/06/1971 Gregor will make his Paralympic debut at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. He first started playing Wheelchair Curling in December 2008, and went on to make his international debut the following year. Among Gregor s career highlights is the World Championship silver medal which he won in Gregor is a full-time athlete and his training base is at Moray Leisure Centre, where he is coached by Joan Reid, Albert Midler and Tony Zummack, GB Head Coach. Tom Killin Home Town: Edinburgh Lives: Edinburgh Date of Birth: 30/03/1950 Sochi 2014 will be Tom s fifth Paralympic Games. Tom first became interested in Wheelchair Curling in October 2004, and he made his international debut at the 2005 World Championships in Glasgow, where Team Scotland won gold. Additional career highlights include winning silver at the 2006 Paralympic Games in Turin, and the 2011 World Championship silver medal that he won as part of Team Scotland. Tom has also competed at the summer Paralympic Games in Table Tennis and Wheelchair Fencing, winning two silver and two bronze medals in the latter sport. In September 2012, Tom was inducted to the inaugural Scottish Disability Sports Hall of Fame.

18 18 Aileen Neilson Home Town: East Kilbride Lives: Strathaven, Strathclyde Date of Birth: 15/08/1971 Aileen will represent ParalympicsGB in Wheelchair Curling for the second time at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. Aileen first got involved in the sport in 2004 and she went on to make her international debut at the 2006 Czech Wheelchair Curling Tournament. She made her Paralympic debut at the 2010 Vancouver Games, where the team finished in 6th place. She represented Team Scotland at the World Championships in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 and Aileen also became the first female athlete to skip a team in World Championship competition, and she led Team Scotland to a silver medal at the 2011 World Championships. She is coached by GB Head Coach Tony Zummack and former team-mate Michael McCreadie. Robert (Bob) McPherson Home Town: Motherwell Lives: Bellshill, Lanarkshire Date of Birth: 22/11/1968 Bob will make his Paralympic debut at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. He started playing Wheelchair Curling in March 2007 and immediately took to the sport. He made his international debut at the 2013 World Championships in Sochi, Russia. Among his career highlights to date is victory at the 2013 Scottish Championships. Bob is coached by Tony Zummack, GB Head Coach.

19 19 Angela (Angie) Malone Hometown: Glasgow Lives: Tormitchell, near Girvan, Ayrshire Date of Birth: 27/05/1965 Angie first started playing Wheelchair Curling in 2003 and went on to make her international debut at the 2004 World Championships in Sursee, Switzerland. She made her Paralympic debut at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Turin, where the team secured a silver medal. Angie represented ParalympicsGB for the second time in Vancouver, where the team finished in 6th place. Career highlights include winning gold at the 2005 World Championships in front of a home crowd in Braehead, Scotland, and going on to secure the silver medal for ParalympicsGB the following year in Turin. Her training base is The Peak in Stirling and she is coached by GB Head Coach Tony Zummack. In addition to Wheelchair Curling, Angie also enjoys Kayaking.

20 20 Keep up with the action from Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games You can follow all the sports action from Sochi 2014 online and on Twitter. Web: Twitter: You can show your support for Britain s Paralympians use #GoParalympicsGB in your tweets.

21 21 Sochi Broadcast Schedule Channel 4 will broadcast 150 hours of coverage from Sochi 2014 the greatest ever commitment to the Winter Paralympics from a UK broadcaster. Channel 4 and More4 will show 50 hours of live coverage over the 10 days of competition, from the opening ceremony on Friday 7 March through to the final day of competition on Sunday 16 March. Two further high definition channels of live streaming will be available digitally, showing an additional 100 hours. There will also be daily reports on Channel 4 News and special editions of The Last Leg during the games. Friday 7th March Channel Channel 4 Saturday 8th March More Channel 4 Sunday 9th March Channel 4 Monday 10th March Channel 4 Tuesday 11th March Channel More Channel 4 Wednesday 12th March More Channel 4 Thursday 13th March Friday 14th March Channel More Channel More Channel 4 Saturday 15th March More Channel More4 Sunday 16th March Channel Channel 4

22 22 ParalympicsGB daily planner This schedule was correct at time of going to print. Following publication, athletes in Alpine Skiing may compete in additional events to those listed here. Please check start lists for confirmation. Day One: Saturday March 8 Alpine Skiing Rosa Khutor Alpine Centre Session 1 10:00 13:10 Men s/women s Downhill (all classes) J Etherington/C Powell, K Gallagher/C Evans, A Turney Wheelchair Curling Ice Cube Curling Centre Session 1 09:30 12:30 Sheet C CAN v GBR Session 2 15:30 18:30 Bye Bye for GBR Day Two: Sunday March 9 Alpine Skiing Rosa Khutor Alpine Centre Session 1 10:00 12:35 Men s Super-G (all classes) M Brennan Wheelchair Curling Ice Cube Curling Centre Session 3 09:30 12:30 Sheet B SWE v GBR Session 4 15:30 18:30 Sheet D GBR v KOR Day Three: Monday March 10 Alpine Skiing Rosa Khutor Alpine Centre Session 1 10:00 11:35 Women s Super-G (all classes) J Etherington/C Powell, K Gallagher/C Evans, A Turney Wheelchair Curling Ice Cube Curling Centre Session 5 09:30 12:30 Bye Bye for GBR Session 6 15:30 18:30 Sheet A SVK v GBR Day Four: Tuesday March 11 Alpine Skiing Rosa Khutor Alpine Centre Session 1 09:30 12:00 Men s/women s Super Combined (all classes) K Gallagher/C Evans Session 2 15:30 18:10 Men s/women s Super Combined (all classes) K Gallagher/C Evans Wheelchair Curling Ice Cube Curling Centre Session 7 09:30 12:30 Sheet C GBR v FIN Session 8 15:30 18:30 Sheet B NOR v GBR

23 23 Day Five: Wednesday March 12 Wheelchair Curling Ice Cube Curling Centre Session 9 09:30 12:30 Sheet D RUS v GBR Bye for GBR 15:30 18:30 Bye Day Six: Thursday March 13 Alpine Skiing Rosa Khutor Alpine Centre Session 1 16:00 17:30 Men s Slalom (all classes) M Brennan, B Sneesby, J Whitley Session 2 19:00 20:25 Men s Slalom (all classes) M Brennan, B Sneesby, J Whitley Wheelchair Curling Ice Cube Curling Centre Session 11 09:30 12:30 Sheet B GBR v USA Session 12 15:30 18:30 Sheet A GBR v CHN Day Seven: Friday March 14 Alpine Skiing Rosa Khutor Alpine Centre Session 1 16:00 17:00 Women s Slalom (all classes) J Etherington/C Powell, K Gallagher/C Evans, M Knight/R Ferrier, A Turney Session 2 19:00 20:05 Women s Slalom (all classes) J Etherington/C Powell, K Gallagher/C Evans, M Knight/R Ferrier, A Turney Wheelchair Curling Ice Cube Curling Centre 09:00 12:00 14:00 17:00 Tie-Breaker Games (if necessary 19:00 22:00 Day Eight: Saturday March 15 Alpine Skiing Rosa Khutor Alpine Centre Session 1 09:30 11:30 Men s Giant Slalom (all classes) M Brennan, B Sneesby, J Whitley Session 2 13:00 15:00 Men s Giant Slalom (all classes) M Brennan, B Sneesby, J Whitley Wheelchair Curling Ice Cube Curling Centre 09:30-12:30 Semi-finals 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 15:30-18:55 Medals Gold and Bronze Medal Games Day Nine: Sunday March 16 Alpine Skiing Rosa Khutor Alpine Centre Session 1 09:30 11:00 Women s Giant Slalom (all classes) J Etherington/C Powell, K Gallagher/C Evans, M Knight/R Ferrier, A Turney Session 2 13:00 14:25 Women s Giant Slalom (all classes) J Etherington/C Powell, K Gallagher/C Evans, M Knight/R Ferrier, A Turney

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