Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PYEONGCHANG OUR TOP PICK
Owen’s emotional journey with the flag
OWEN PICK completed a painful eight-year journey when he led out Team GB at the Winter Paralympics opening ceremony.
The snowboarder had his leg amputated seven years ago after stepping on an improvised bomb while serving with the British Army in Afghanistan.
Pick, 26, who won silver at the Para World Championships last year, said: “It’s incredible. Eight years ago I was fighting for this flag. Now I’m representing it, so it means a lot to me.
“I didn’t expect it at all. It came as a surprise. To go from not knowing what I was going to do with my life to now I’m here doing this, it just feels amazing. It feels like a testament to the hard work.
“I’m really excited to get out there and show everyone what British snowboarding is about.”
The British team also includes partially-sighted skier Kelly Gallagher (right), who made history by becoming Britain’s first Winter Paralympic champion four years ago in Sochi, with guide Charlotte Evans.
Gallagher is unlikely to repeat her gold, having had a rough four years.
The Northern Irish skier not only had to adjust to a new guide in Gary Smith, but suffered a dislocated elbow and fractured ribs in a training crash, which kept her out of last year’s World Championships.
A firework display over Pyeongchang Olympic stadium heralded the opening of the biggest Winter Paralympics yet, with a record 567 athletes from 48 countries. Russians will take part under the banner of ‘neutral Paralympic athletes’ because doping concerns were not met.
South and North Korea marched separately at the ceremony after failing to resolve their differences concerning a proposed Korean unification flag.