Simpson fuelled by Paralympic performance as Allen and Cozens complete dream debuts

Neil Simpson added fuel to the fire in the men’s slalom VI having become the most decorated British male Winter Paralympian at Milano Cortina 2026.

The 23-year-old had won silver in the men’s alpine combined earlier in the Games to take his total Paralympic medal tally to three, but a DNF in the slalom left him hungry for more.

Simpson, guided by Rob Poth, straddled a gate at the top of his first run on Sunday to bring an early end to hopes of a second medal, but had a Games to be proud of.

“There’s been positives and negatives. Obviously to come away with silver is a good positive,” he said.

“We’re unfortunate with the last couple of results because we built into it quite nicely, I felt. So just unfortunate there.”

Simpson had finished top of the slalom standings in the men’s alpine combined, which saw his fourth in the Super-G supercharged to a silver medal.

It left him in fine fettle heading into the technical events, but bad luck hit just at the wrong time as he missed a gate in the giant slalom before straddling in the slalom, as he was denied the opportunity to show his full potential in the Dolomites.

“Unfortunately, just a straddle very close to the start of the run. But it’s part of ski racing and it’s just one of those things,” explained the Banchory alpine skier.

“It is obviously disappointing just now. We’ll take a bit of time to process it. We’re skiing well in slalom and it’s unfortunate, but it is just one of those things. It’s a risk.”

He had been ahead of eventual winner and home favourite Giacomo Bertagnolli when he made the error in the giant slalom and looked set to right those wrongs in the slalom.

But while it was not to be for Simpson, despite hitting form at just the right time, it leaves extra motivation to prove exactly what he is capable of in the coming seasons.

“It’s annoying that it happened today but we know that Neil’s slalom skiing is the best shape it’s ever been in,” said 28-year-old guide Poth.

“After that combined run the medals and the gold were in our grasp. That’s just the way it is.

“We know the speed is there. We just use that as confidence, and we go and smash the next year and all the next slalom races.

“It is definitely fuel to the fire to make a point and hopefully prove it at the next big event or the next World Cups.”

But there were strong performances to round off the Games from two of ParalympicsGB’s debutants in the slalom, which saw worsening visibility throughout the day after heavy snowfall during the night.

Sam Cozens, 19, continued his Winter Paralympic debut alongside guide Adam Hall as he finished in 12th.

“I couldn’t have wish for a better run to end on,” said Cozens, from Norwich. “I’m really, really happy with the result.

“I was just playing it safe after first run and it’s all played out and we’ve finished our first Paralympic race.

“The fog was so thick coming into this bottom section, I started to lose Adam at one section, but we managed to pull it back.”

It was an emotional ending for his guide Hall, from Aberdeen, who called time on his career as a guide so he could end on a high at the Games.

“It’s amazing. It’s really cool and hopefully [Sam] is now set up for the next Games and the Games after and I’ll be watching from the stands,” he said.

“I’m going to go into a new chapter in my life which doesn’t involve guiding. I’ve done five years and it’s been great. There comes a time when you want to finish on a high and this is it.”

And 16-year-old Dominic Allen from Fife, who is three years younger than any other competitor in the men’s slalom standing field, finished 19th.

“I’ve loved every minute of it,” he reflected. “This is something I will never forget and hopefully I can experience it again.

“The fog at the start gate meant I couldn’t see the crowd so it was quite nice because the nerves went down because they couldn’t see me.”