Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Paralympics


Great Britain competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. Great Britain sent a delegation of around 400, of which 212 were athletes, to compete in eighteen sports at the Games. The team was made up of athletes from the whole United Kingdom; athletes from Northern Ireland, who may elect to hold Irish citizenship under the pre-1999 article 2 of the Irish constitution, are able to be selected to represent either Great Britain or Ireland at the Paralympics. Additionally some British overseas territories compete separately from Britain in Paralympic competition.
Britain finished second in the medal table, behind host nation China, winning 42 gold medals and 102 total medals, equalling the team's position in the medal table at the 2004 Athens Games. The number of medals won was an increase on the 94 medals and 35 golds in Athens. The team was the most successful in two decades, with 80 different athletes winning at least one medal. The United Kingdom was the next host of the Summer Paralympics, holding the 2012 Games in London.

Disability classifications

Every participant at the Paralympics has their disability grouped into one of five disability categories; amputation, 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, dependent 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. Some sports, such as athletics, divide athletes by both the category and severity of their disabilities, other sports, for example swimming, group competitors from different categories together, the only separation being based on the severity of the disability.

Medallists

The following British competitors won medals at the games, all dates are September 2008. In the 'by discipline' sections below, medallists' names are in bold.
MedalNameSportEventDate
CyclingMen's individual pursuit – CP3
CyclingMen's individual 1 km time trial – LC3-4

CyclingWomen's individual 1 km time trial – B&VI
SwimmingMen's 200 m individual medley – SM6

CyclingMen's 1 km time trial – B&VI
SwimmingMen's 100 m freestyle – S7
SwimmingWomen's 100 m freestyle – S6
CyclingMen's individual 1 km time trial – LC2
CyclingMen's individual 1 km time trial – CP3
CyclingMen's individual pursuit – LC3

CyclingWomen's individual pursuit – B&VI
CyclingMen's individual 1 km time trial – LC1
SwimmingMen's 100 m breaststroke – SB7
EquestrianIndividual championship test – Grade Ia
EquestrianIndividual championship test – Grade Ib



EquestrianTeam championship
CyclingWomen's individual pursuit – LC1-2/CP 4

CyclingMen's sprint – B&VI 1–3


CyclingMen's team sprint – LC1-4\CP3/4
SwimmingWomen's 100 m backstroke – S8



SwimmingMen's 4×100 m freestyle – 34 points
ShootingMixed R3 10 m air rifle prone – SH1
RowingWomen's single sculls – A
RowingMen's single sculls – A
SwimmingMen's 400 m freestyle – S7
EquestrianIndividual freestyle test – Grade Ia
EquestrianIndividual freestyle test – Grade Ib
CyclingWomen's time trial – HCA/HCB/HCC
CyclingMixed time trial – CP1/CP2
CyclingWomen's time trial – LC1-2/CP 4



BocciaMixed team – BC1/BC2
SwimmingMen's 400 m freestyle – S8
SwimmingWomen's 100 m breaststroke – SB6
ArcheryWomen's individual compound – Open
ArcheryMen's individual compound – Open
CyclingMen's road race – CP3
CyclingMixed road race – CP1/CP2
AthleticsMen's 800 m – T54
TennisQuad singles – Open
SwimmingWomen's 400 m freestyle – S6
SwimmingMen's 50 m freestyle – S7
AthleticsMen's 1500 m – T54
SwimmingMen's 200 m freestyle – S2
SwimmingWomen's 100 m freestyle – S8
SwimmingWomen's 100 m freestyle – S9
AthleticsMen's discus throw – F33/34/52
SwimmingWomen's 100 m backstroke – S6
CyclingMen's 1 km time trial – CP3
EquestrianIndividual championship test – Grade Ia
AthleticsWomen's 100 m – T12
BocciaMixed individual – BC2
AthleticsMen's 100 m – T36
SwimmingMen's 100 m backstroke – S7
EquestrianIndividual freestyle test – Grade II
AthleticsMen's 400 m – T54
EquestrianIndividual freestyle test – Grade Ia
EquestrianIndividual freestyle test – Grade Ib
EquestrianIndividual freestyle test – Grade III
CyclingMen's time trial – CP3
CyclingMen's time trial – LC3
SwimmingWomen's 400 m freestyle – S8
SwimmingMen's 100 m breaststroke – SB6
SwimmingMen's 50 m butterfly – S7
SwimmingMen's 50 m freestyle – S7
ArcheryMen's individual compound – W1
AthleticsMen's club throw – F32/51
SwimmingMen's 50 m backstroke – S2
SwimmingWomen's 50 m backstroke – S3
SwimmingMen's 400 m freestyle – S10
AthleticsMen's 100 m – T53
AthleticsWomen's 1500 m – T54
SwimmingWomen's 200 m individual medley – SM6
SwimmingMen's 200 m individual medley – SM7
SwimmingMen's 100 m freestyle – S7
SwimmingMen's 100 m freestyle – S2
SwimmingMen's 200 m freestyle – S5
SwimmingWomen's 100 m breaststroke – SB8
JudoMen −90 kg
SwimmingWomen's 100 m breaststroke – SB9
SwimmingMen's 100 m backstroke – S8




RowingMixed coxed four – LTA
SwimmingMen's 200 m individual medley – SM8
SwimmingWomen's 200 m individual medley – SM8
SwimmingWomen's 200 m individual medley – SM9
AthleticsMen's 5000 m – T54
†AthleticsWomen's 5000 m – T54
SwimmingMen's 100 m breaststroke – SB6
ArcheryWomen's individual compound – Open
AthleticsWomen's 200 m – T36
SwimmingMen's 50 m freestyle – S2
SwimmingMen's 50 m butterfly – S6
SwimmingWomen's 50 m freestyle – S3
AthleticsMen's 200 m – T44

TennisQuad doubles – Open
AthleticsMen's 100 m – T42
SwimmingWomen's 50 m freestyle – S9
SwimmingMen's 400 m freestyle – S6
AthleticsMen's discus throw – F44
SwimmingWomen's 50 m freestyle – S6
Great Britain national
wheelchair basketball team
BasketballMen's tournament
AthleticsMen's 400 m – T44
AthleticsWomen's 100 m – T36

The following competitors won multiple medals at the 2008 Paralympic Games.
NameMedalSportEvents




CyclingMen's individual pursuit – CP3
Men's 1 km time trial – CP3
Men's team sprint – LC1-4\CP3/4
Men's road race – CP3
Men's time trial – CP3



SwimmingMen's 100 m freestyle – S7
Men's 4×100 m freestyle relay – 34 points
Men's 400 m freestyle – S7
Men's 50 m freestyle – S7


EquestrianIndividual championship test – Grade Ib
Team event
Individual freestyle test – Grade Ib



AthleticsMen's 800 m – T54
Men's 1500 m – T54
Men's 400 m – T54
Men's 5000 m – T54


EquestrianTeam event
Individual freestyle test – Grade Ia
Individual championship test – Grade Ia


EquestrianIndividual championship test – Grade Ia
Team event
Individual freestyle test – Grade Ia


CyclingMen's individual 1 km time trial – LC3-4
Men's individual pursuit – LC3
Men's time trial – LC3


SwimmingMen's 200 m individual medley – SM6
Men's 100 m breaststroke – SB7
Men's 50 m butterfly – S6

CyclingMen's individual 1 km time trial – LC1
Men's team sprint – LC1-4\CP3/4

CyclingMen's individual 1 km time trial – LC2
Men's team sprint – LC1-4\CP3/4

CyclingWomen's individual 1 km time trial – B&VI
Women's individual pursuit – B&VI

CyclingMen's individual 1 km time trial – B&VI
Men's sprint – B&VI

CyclingWomen's individual 1 km time trial – B&VI
Women's individual pursuit – B&VI

SwimmingWomen's 100 m freestyle – S6
Women's 400 m freestyle – S6

CyclingMixed road race – CP1/CP2
Mixed time trial – CP1/CP2

CyclingMen's individual 1 km time trial – B&VI
Men's sprint – B&VI

CyclingWomen's individual pursuit – LC1-2/CP4
Women's time trial – LC1-2/CP4




SwimmingMen's 4×100 m freestyle relay – 34 points
Men's 50 m butterfly – S7
Men's 50 m freestyle – S7
Men's 200 m individual medley – SM7
Men's 100 m freestyle – S7



SwimmingWomen's 100 m backstroke – S8
Women's 100 m freestyle – S8
Women's 400 m freestyle – S8
Women's 200 m individual medley – SM8

EquestrianTeam event
Individual freestyle test – Grade III

BocciaMixed individual – BC2
Mixed team – BC1/BC2

SwimmingMen's 4x100 m freestyle relay – 34 points
Men's 400 m freestyle – S10

SwimmingMen's 400 m freestyle – S8
Men's 200 m individual medley – SM8

TennisQuad singles – Open
Quad doubles – Open



SwimmingMen's 200 m freestyle – S2
Men's 50 m backstroke – S2
Men's 100 m freestyle – S2
Men's 50 m freestyle – S2



SwimmingWomen's 100 m freestyle – S9
Women's 100 m breaststroke – SB9
Women's 200 m individual medley – SM9
Women's 50 m freestyle – S9

SwimmingWomen's 50 m backstroke – S3
Women's 50 m freestyle – S3

AthleticsWomen's 1500 m – T54
Women's 5000 m – T54

AthleticsMen's 200 m – T44
Men's 400 m – T44

SwimmingWomen's 200 m individual medley – SM6
Women's 50 m freestyle – S6

AthleticsWomen's 200 m – T36
Women's 400 m – T36

SwimmingMen's 100 m breaststroke – SB6
Men's 400 m freestyle – S6

Targets

In July 2008, UK Sport, the body responsible for the distribution of National Lottery funding to elite sport, published its expectations for the Games. It identified a 112 "stretch" medal target and expected to win 95 of them, including around 35 gold medals to finish second in the medal table.
The athletes met the expectations of UK Sport for total medals, gold medals and medal table position, finishing second behind hosts China with 42 gold and 102 total medals. The medals claimed were not all ones that had been [|targeted], the team fell short of targets in some sports whilst it exceeded them in others; out of the fifteen sports set a target eight succeeded in meeting them.
SportAthens 2004 result"Stretch" Beijing targetWonTarget met
Archery264
Athletics173017
Wheelchair basketball111
Boccia022
Cycling71420
Equestrian8710
Wheelchair fencing000–
Football five-a-side000–
Football seven-a-side000–
Judo111
Powerlifting120
RowingN/A13
Wheelchair rugby010
[|Sailing]000–
Shooting111
Swimming524141
Table tennis240
Wheelchair tennis212
Total94112102
Total expected–95102
Total gold353542

Archery

Great Britain's archery squad for the Games included twelve athletes. In all, four archery medals, two gold, one silver and one bronze, were won by British archers, which meant that they finished second in the archery medal table. John Stubbs, a former England disabled cricketer, set a new world record score of 691 in the ranking round on the route to victory in the men's individual compound open. In the equivalent women's event Danielle Brown beat compatriot, and eventual bronze medallist, Mel Clarke before going on to win the gold.
;Men
;Women
Legend:

Athletics

The GB Paralympic team included thirty–five competitors in the sport of athletics, amongst them reigning champions Kenny Churchill, Danny Crates, Daniel Greaves and Stephen Miller. David Weir failed in his attempts to win five gold medals at the Games after suffering from a virus, but did win four medals; two gold, one silver, one bronze; before pulling out of his final event.
British participants were involved in a number of controversies regarding the reallocation of medals during the Games. Shelly Woods was initially awarded the silver medal in the women's 5000 m T54, but a rerun was ordered by the International Paralympic Committee after the Australian, US and Swiss teams protested the result because six competitors were involved in a crash on the penultimate lap. When the race was rerun Woods won the bronze medal. David Weir believed he had won the gold medal in the men's 800 m T54 but a rerun of the race was ordered after it was discovered that the Australian silver medallist, Kurt Fearnley, had begun the race in the wrong lane. Following a letter from Fearnley and the Australian authorities to the IPC, which asked that the result not be overturned in the spirit of sportsmanship, the rerun was cancelled and Weir's medal reinstated. Discus thrower Rebecca Chin was originally awarded the silver medal in the women's F37–38, but her classification was challenged and Chin was deemed ineligible for the event, stripped of her medal, and her results were erased. The decision was particularly controversial given that Chin had already been assessed earlier in the Games whilst she competed in the women's F37–38 shot put final.
;Men—Track
;Men—Field
AthleteEventsResultRank
Kenny ChurchillJavelin F37–3845.30 m
941 pts		6
Martin CrutchleyShot put F3712.72 m
853 pts		5
David GaleDiscus F32/518.88 m
904 pts		11
Daniel GreavesDiscus F4453.04 m
981 pts
Chris MartinDiscus F33–34/5228.37 m
1074 pts
Stephen MillerDiscus F32/5115.44 m
887 pts		12
Stephen MillerClub F32/5134.37 m
1081 pts
Kieron MurphyClub F32/5129.03 m
913 pts		7
Dan NobbsShot F53–549.13 m
940 pts		10
Richard SchabelDiscus F32/519.55 m
973 pts		8
Richard SchabelClub F32/5121.06 m
875 pts		10
Nathan StephensShot put F57–5812.57 m
937 pts		8
Nathan StephensDiscus F57–5838.89 m
834 pts		11
Nathan StephensJavelin F57–5838.56 m
994 pts		4
Dan WestShot put F33–34/5210.39 m
963 pts		8
Dan WestDiscus F33–34/5237.38 m
951 pts		6

;Women—Track
;Women—Field
AthleteEventsResultRank
Hollie ArnoldJavelin F42–4629.10 m
794 pts		11
Rebecca ChinDiscus F37–38 *DSQ–
Rebecca ChinShot put F37–3810.47 m
917 pts		10
Sophie HancockDiscus F4021.53 m5
Sophie HancockShot put F407.48 m5
Beverley JonesDiscus F37–3827.27 m
928 pts		7
Beverley JonesShot put F37–3810.35 m
1009 pts		5
Kim MinettShot put F406.92 m7
Gemma PrescottDiscus F32–34/51–5311.01 m
993 pts		8
Gemma PrescottShot put F32–34/51–534.77 m
938 pts		7
Claire WilliamsDiscus F12–1335.01 m
823 pts		5

* Originally awarded the silver medal but stripped of medal and results following a challenge to her classification.
;Key:
Britain qualified teams in both the men's and women's events. The women's team finished eighth out of ten competing teams, whilst the men, matching their achievement at 2004 Athens Games, won the bronze medal.

Men

;Pool B
TeamPtsPldWDLPFPAPD
95401378247131
9540133427163
9540134629155
752033323257
65104291348−57
55005203402−199

Legend:
;Quarterfinal
;Semi-final
;Bronze medal final

Women

;Pool B
TeamPtsPldWDLPFPAPD
8440022714978
7430121417440
6420222318538
54103166194−28
44004129257−128

Legend:
;Quarterfinal
;5–8 Classification semi-final
;7–8 Classification final

Boccia

Paralympic Boccia is open to players with cerebral palsy and other major physical disabilities. Four players were selected to compete at the Games, including Sydney gold medallist Nigel Murray. Murray advanced to the final where, despite at one stage taking a 3–1 lead, he was unable to beat Karen Hoi Ying Kwok and so won the silver medal. Murray was also a part of the four-person team that won the gold medal in the mixed BC1/BC2 event, beating the defending champions Portugal in the final.

Cycling

Great Britain's cycling team consisted of ten riders, including returning Paralympic gold medalists Aileen McGlynn, her tandem partner Ellen Hunter, and Darren Kenny. Former swimmers Jody Cundy and Sarah Storey were also named in the squad. The Paralympic cycling team, coached by Chris Furber and managed Helen Mortimer, trained alongside the British Olympic cycling team. Darren Kenny won five medals, four gold and one silver, more golds than any other British competitor at these Games. Cundy set a new world record and won two gold medals on the track to add to his five swimming medals from previous Games; this meant he matched Rebecca Romero's achievement in the Olympics of becoming a medal winner in two different sports. In all British cyclists won twenty medals, seventeen of them gold, to top the cycling medal tables for both road and track events.
;Factor time
To ensure a fair event when athletes with differing disabilities compete, times achieved are sometimes modified by a percentage rate, to produce a result known as "Factor Time". It is this time that decides the result of the races, and is listed below. Where this differs from the actual time recorded, actual time is also listed.

Road

;Key:
;Men
;Women
;Key:
The only equestrian events held in the Paralympic Games are in the Dressage discipline. Seven British riders competed, in both individual and team events, winning five gold and five silver medals. Lee Pearson won three titles for the third successive Games, and Anne Dunham, at the age of 59, won her first individual Paralympic Games gold medal, having previously won three team golds and been a five–time world champion.

Wheelchair fencing

Lee Fawcett was the sole British fencer to qualify for the Games, he competed in both the foil and sabre B classification events. Fawcett was the final British athlete to compete in Beijing, losing his sabre round of 16 match to Serhiy Shenkevych of Ukraine.

Football five-a-side

The sport is classified as a B1 event, meaning that it is for blind athletes, however vision-impaired athletes are also able to take part as all competitors wear eyeshades to ensure they are equally disadvantaged. Goalkeepers may be sighted as long as they have not been registered with FIFA since 2003. Each team may also have a guide behind their opponents' goal to direct players.
Great Britain qualified through the International Blind Sports Federation European Championships, held in Greece in 2007, where the team won the silver medal. It was the first time Britain was represented in this sport at the Paralympics. The team finished fifth out of the six teams that competed, having beaten South Korea on penalties in the fifth and sixth place classification match.
;Preliminaries
TeamPtsPldWDLGFGAGD
13541071+6
115320101+9
10531172+5
4511357−2
35104415−11
15014310−7

Legend:
;5–6 Classification

Football seven-a-side

7-a-side football is for cerebral palsy sufferers only, so athletes who classify as CP5-CP8 can take part in this sport, with C5 being most disabled. At least one C5 or C6 player, and no more than three C8 players, may be on the field at a given time. Britain qualified a team in this sport through the 7th-place finish of the England team at the CPISRA World Championships in Brazil.; their first appearance since the 1992 Barcelona Games
;Pool B
TeamPWDLGFGAGDScore
3300191189
32017616
3012312−91
3012212−101

Legend:
;5–8 Classification semi-final
;7–8 Classification final

Judo

Four British judokas qualified for the Games, all events were for visually impaired athletes. A single medal was won, by Sam Ingram, in the men's 90 kg category.
Four British powerlifters qualified to compete at the Games. Jason Irving and Natalie Blake had the best results, each finishing sixth, Blake was competing in the −48 kg division, having dropped down two weight categories since her fourth-place finish in Athens.
AthleteEventTotal liftedRank
Natalie BlakeWomen's −48 kg97.5 kg6
Jason IrvingMen's −56 kg177.5 kg6
Ali JawadMen's −75 kg182.5 kg9
Anthony PeddleMen's −48 kgNo weight liftedN/A

Rowing

Rowing appeared as a Paralympic sport for the first time at the 2008 games. Briton Helene Raynsford became the first ever Paralympic champion in the sport, winning the women's single sculls. Tom Aggar matched her success with victory in the men's single sculls. A bronze medal for the mixed coxed four crew meant that GB won more medals in the sport than any other nation and topped the rowing medal table.
;Key:
At the Paralympics teams in the sport of wheelchair rugby are made up of mixed classification tetraplegic athletes of both sexes. Great Britain qualified via the Europe Zonal Championship and went on to finish fourth out of eight teams, losing the bronze medal playoff to Canada.
;Pool B
TeamPWDLGGAGDScore
3300129111186
3201115116−14
310211610972
3003102126−240

Sailing

Great Britain entered crews in all three of the sailing events, held in the Qingdao International Sailing Centre. All three boats finished in the top ten places of their events, but none were in the medal positions.
;Key:
British shooters won a single medal at the Games, a gold for Matt Skelhon in the mixed R3–10 m air rifle prone SH1. With his first six shots in the qualification round he equalled the world record with a perfect score of 600 out of 600. Of the other six events in which there was a British competitor only Nathan Milgate, in the men's R1-10 m air rifle standing SH1, advanced to the final.
;Rifle

Swimming

selected a squad of 35 athletes to send to Beijing to compete in the swimming events. The team contributed a total of forty-one medals to the ParalympicsGB medal total – eleven gold, twelve silver and eighteen bronze. David Roberts won gold in each of his three individual and one of his relay events, taking his personal Paralympics gold medal haul to eleven, equalling that of Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson. Heather Frederiksen won four medals, including gold in the 100 m backstroke S8 where she set a new world record time, and Matt Walker, competing in his third Paralympics, won four individual silver and bronze medals and a gold in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay, whilst James Anderson competed in his fifth Paralympics, taking his individual medal total to 17. Thirteen-year-old Eleanor Simmonds, the youngest of all the British athletes in Beijing, won two gold medals, making her Britains youngest ever individual Paralympic medallist.
;Men
Legend:
;Women
Legend:

Table tennis

Eleven table tennis players were selected for the GB Paralympic squad. Included in the squad was 50-year-old Dzaier Neil who had previously taken part in the 1984 Los Angeles Games before taking a ten-year break from the sport. In the individual events only Neil Robertson progressed as far as the round of 16 whilst the four teams entered won a total of just two matches between them. The squad therefore failed to win any of the four medals that were targeted by UK Sport.
;Men
;Women

Wheelchair tennis

Team Paralympic GB had competitors in four of the six wheelchair tennis disciplines; men's, women's and mixed quads singles and mixed quad doubles. Peter Norfolk, nicknamed the 'Quadfather', won gold in the mixed quad singles, successfully defending the title he had won in Athens.

Media coverage

As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, the BBC aired coverage of the Games in the UK. The Games were broadcast in high-definition for the first time. BBC Red Button and bbc.co.uk showed live coverage throughout the Games, with a nightly highlights programme on BBC Two, anchored by Clare Balding and Steve Cram. Live coverage was also shown on BBC One, BBC Two, and BBC HD on Saturdays and Sundays. Both the opening and closing ceremonies were broadcast live. Radio coverage was provided by BBC Radio 5 Live.