Schedule a challenge

Millie Knight admits her jampacked Paralympic schedule finally caught up with her after another near miss in Beijing. The visually impaired skier from Canterbury finished fourth for the second time at the Games in the third consecutive alpine event in as many days.

Monday’s Super Combined competition was initially scheduled for Tuesday, but was brought forward by 24 hours because of scheduled boiling Beijing conditions. Knight admitted she surprised even herself with a brave downhill bronze on day one but says fatigue got the better of her after another tough day in Yanqing.

The four-time Paralympic medallist, 23, said: “It obviously is very intensive.

“We’ve had a lot of days of downhill and Super-g skiing, and all of a sudden in the space of half a day, we’re changing to the shortest distance and discipline.

“Coming fourth hurts again.” The Super Combined event consists of two runs – one in the fast-paced Super-g and a second on the technicallychallenging, winding slalom course.

Knight and Wild sat fourth after their Super-g but were almost three seconds off the pace of Menna Fitzpatrick – fifth after the first run – in the second as the defending Pyeongchang slalom champion leapfrogged her into the podium places.

Asked if a couple of days away from the snow would enhance her perspective ahead of the giant slalom and slalom events, Knight said: “I hope so - but we’ve still got another two races to go.”

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