SKIING siblings Neil and Andrew Simpson triggered late-night Aberdeen ecstasy by becoming the first British men to strike gold at a Winter Paralympic Games.
Visually impaired Aberdeen ace Neil, 19, delivered a dazzling, dynamic Super-G descent at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre to grab ParalympicsGB’s first gold of the Games and cap a super skiing Sunday in Beijing.
Just half an hour earlier, four-time PyeongChang medallist Menna Fitzpatrick scooped silver in her Super-G event to become Britain’s most decorated Winter Paralympian of all-time and Neil and guide Andrew, 21, kept the momentum firmly rolling.
They crossed the line in a speedy 1:08.91 at roughly 3am UK-time and revelled in a glimpse of family jubilation just moments after reigning supreme.
Andrew, whose triumph with his brother also made them the first British men to win gold on snow at either a Winter Olympics or Paralympics, said: “We spoke to the family at the end once we were in the finish area.
“They’ve got a few family friends round tonight as well as it’s the weekend, so they’re absolutely ecstatic.
“We’re absolutely delighted. We were really happy with how the ski went.
“When we crossed the line we were happy and to see the time, when it paid off, it was amazing.”
Neil, who competes in the B3 classification category after being born with nystagmus - a condition that causes involuntary eye movement – added: “It’s starting to sink in, but not quite fully yet.
“We couldn’t quite believe it - I could tell the run was quick but I didn’t know it was something special.
“I’m really happy with how we skied - we really attacked the course, which was our game plan from the inspection.
“I didn’t think a gold medal was on the cards - we were just trying to deliver performances but to win a gold makes me really, really happy.”
The Simpsons came into the Games with red-hot momentum and delivered when it mattered when the pressure was on.
They claimed Super Combined silver at January’s World Championships in Lillehammer but few would have tipped them as genuine Super-G – an event with more technical emphasis – contenders on the outskirts of the Chinese capital.
But they completed a stirring display to topple Italian Giacomo Bertagnolli by 0.4s and clamber to the summit of the Paralympic podium.
It could still get better for the duo too, with a shot at their favoured Super Combined event beckoning on Monday at the same venue.
Andrew added: “If either of us make a mistake it could end up inuring both of us, so trust is very important.
“I’m absolutely delighted, it’s something I never thought was going to happen when we first started this at all.
“We spend all the time together, especially here - we share a room, go to meals together, but it means we know exactly what each other want and need."
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