Creating a discussion thread for anyone who wants to discuss the Paralympics - I'll try my best to watch as much as I can! Running from the 4th to the 13th March.

Athletes from Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to compete at the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing after the International Paralympic Committee reversed its original decision.

 

The IPC was heavily criticised when, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it initially said it would allow the athletes to compete as neutrals.

 

A statement said the "situation in the athlete villages" was "untenable".

 

The Games' opening ceremony takes place on Friday.

 

IPC president Andrew Parsons said an "overwhelming number of members" had told his organisation they would not compete should athletes from Russia and Belarus be allowed to take part.

It's a shame for the athletes involved but the decision had to be made - it would've caused too much distress them still being there.

Skier Millie Knight defeated her demons as she won Great Britain's first medal of the Beijing Winter Paralympics.

 

The 23-year-old suffered a number of crashes and concussions which left her questioning her future in the sport.

 

But Knight and guide Brett Wild claimed bronze in the women's visually-impaired downhill.

 

"At the start I was just thinking, find the seconds, do anything you can do to go faster, it doesn't matter if you're scared, keep going," Knight said.

 

Knight and Wild, who took silver four years ago, put in a solid run on the opening day of competition at the Yanqing National Alpine Centre to finish in one minute 23.20 seconds.

I saw Knight's run - well done for her for getting a medal, Zhu was an unexpected silver though with a very good ski!

Fantastic to see Ukraine manage 7 medals on Day 1, including two golds and one clean sweep of the podium! They thoroughtly deserve it.

Great Britain's Neil Simpson said it was "almost indescribable" after he put in the performance of his life to clinch Paralympic gold in the men's visually-impaired super-G skiing event in Beijing.

 

The 19-year-old Scot, guided by brother Andrew, 21, became GB's third-ever Winter Games gold medallist and the first male to achieve the feat after successes for Kelly Gallagher in 2014 and Menna Fitzpatrick in 2018.

 

The siblings finished 0.40 seconds clear of Italy's Giacomo Bertagnolli and his guide Andrea Ravelli.

It was great to see Neil Simpson get his gold, seemingly beating the odds as well! Good to see us competitive again in the Alpine sports.

Two more clean sweeps of the podium for Ukraine today - couldn't think of any other nation that deserves this level of success more right now.

And so the Paralympics draw to a close - Team GB did pretty well overall! Neil and Menna in particular with their multiple medals each. And of course massive respect to the Ukranian athletes coming out here and getting so many medals as well (2nd in the final medal table), it wouldn't have been the same without them.