Gallagher delighted with Paralympic debut

BRITISH Paralympic newcomer Kelly Gallagher tamed difficult conditions at Whistler Creekside for a top-six slalom finish - and vowed the best is yet to come.

STRONG START: Northern Ireland's Kelly Gallagher was delighted with her sixth place in the Paralympic women's slalom in Whistler (Getty Images)

Gallagher, who is visually-impaired and has only been competitive skiing for just over a year, finished eighth after the first run but improved two positions in the second run as the weather forced more experienced competitors to make mistakes.

She finished just over 15 seconds behind winner, Austria's Sabine Gasteigner, while Canada's Viviane Forest and Australia's Jessica Gallagher completed the podium.

However, she was delighted with sixth place ahead of her favoured giant slalom event.

"I'm immensely proud. We were secretly hoping for top five but on the first run I was really nervous, so I felt really proud after my second run," she said. 

"It was really good coming into the finish area knowing that I'd finished two runs and I hadn't fallen.

"Slalom isn't my best event, I find I can't really enjoy it. I get nervous because the gates are so small and I can't really see them but I'm looking forward to the GS."

British sit-skier Anna Turney also placed sixth in her event as Austria's Claudia Loesch took gold. Team-mate Jane Sowerby missed a gate during her first run and was disqualified.

"I'm happy with sixth," she said. 

"In the first run the snow was more challenging so I found the first run harder, but I just fought through it and got to the bottom. 

"In the second run I felt I was a lot more fluid and smooth."

Fellow sit-skier Sean Rose, who has been posting some impressive results before these Games, was eighth in the men's slalom - although his focus will be the speed disciplines to come.

Germany's Martin Braxenthaler took gold ahead of Canada's Josh Dueck and Austria's Phillipp Bonadimann but first run leader, Jurgen Egle, failed to complete his second run.

Rose admitted he was thrown by the change to the schedule, with organisers forced to put the speed events back due to difficult conditions in Whistler.

"I've been doing lots of speed training because originally the schedule had the speed events first but obviously the schedule has changed, so it was a bit strange to go into slalom", he said.

"I had a terrible first run but made up for it in my second run so I was pleased by the end of the day."

British team manager Dave Chugg admitted he was delighted with performances ahead of Tuesday's giant slalom.

"It's been a good day for GB on the hill", he said.

"The girls skied out of their skins and, although their form was showing good signs, to perform like that with all the pressure at a Paralympic games was very impressive. 

"Sean favours the speed events and hasn't finished a World Cup Slalom this season so eighth place is a great result for him as well.  We're in a good place before the giant slalom."

Elsewhere, Spain’s Jon Santacana Maiztegui won the men’s visually-impaired slalom, ahead of Jakub Krako, of the Czech Republic, and Italy’s Gianmaria Dal Maistro.