UK Sport Chair Katherine Grainger backing 'home' Italian snow to bolster British Paralympic medal hopes at Milan-Cortina 2026

British Paralympic bosses believe battling through the unpredictable challenges of the Beijing Winter Games has laid the foundations for a re-energised assault at a record medal haul on ‘home snow’ in 2026.

The British team racked up six medals in the Chinese capital including one gold, one silver and four bronzes.

That tally fell narrowly short of the record-breaking haul of seven scored at PyeongChang 2018 as alpine skiers Menna Fitzpatrick and Millie Knight failed to hit the heights of four years ago.

Katherine Grainger, UK Sport Chair, admits navigating the circumstances has been tricky but the wheels are in motion for even greater success on European soil at Milan-Cortina 2026.

The five-time Olympic medallist, 46, said: “These were Games, very much like Tokyo, that were always going to feel different.

“They have felt very unpredictable – athletes have had very little competition compared to normal years.

“I think there’s been feelings of uncertainty about where they’ve been performing in term of standard, considering the challenges and presence of Covid building up to the Games, but it’s been a success all round.

“We’re still a young force in Winter sport ­– there’s an enormous amount to look forward to and Milan is really exciting.

“The home snow will make a difference – we can engage the public in a similar time zone and there will be a lot more familiar about it.

“The next Games being closer to home will be an incentive for lots of athletes.

“It’s feeling good looking forward – we want to see where our potential is and how soon we can reach it.”

The Simpson brothers, visually impaired skier Neil and guide Andrew, grabbed the team’s only gold of the Games as they became the first British men to climb to the top of