Suffolk’s Owen Pick wants nothing more than to forget all about his performances at his maiden Winter Paralympic Games, writes Ross Lawson.

East Anglian Daily Times: Suffolk's Owen Pick in action in the Winter Olympics. Picture: SPORTSBEATSuffolk's Owen Pick in action in the Winter Olympics. Picture: SPORTSBEAT (Image: Archant)

What started out as a dream in PyeongChang turned into anything but, failing to reach the podium in either the snowboard cross or banked slalom where a medal was a strong possibility.

To call it a nightmare would exaggerate a week in which the Barton Mills-based snowboarder carried the ParalympicsGB flag at the opening ceremony.

But with a ninth-place finish slalom backing up the round of 16 performance from the snowboard cross, it was a case of opportunity lost for Pick in South Korea.

He said: “It’s annoying, you train for such a long time and I came here having done so well throughout the season, but these two competitions haven’t been mine.

“I don’t really need to pick myself up, it’s over now, I’ll rest for a couple of days, go home and get into the summer and just forget about it.”

For Pick, who lost use of his legs when stepping on an IED in combat, the focus now rapidly shifts to what’s ahead as opposed to what’s gone before.

Though when it comes to whether or not to begin preparations for the next Games in Beijing 2022, the 26-year-old already knows in himself what the answer will be.

“My aim was to come here and medal in this event. It’s upsetting to be so far down that table and not to have performed the way I would have liked,” he added.

“I’ll get over it. I’m hard on myself but I set myself a challenge. You’re told you can’t do certain things because of your injury and I want to prove them wrong.

“I haven’t got a choice whether I continue. I can’t leave it. I’m one of those people who sets themselves a goal and I haven’t achieved that goal. I’ll be back.”

- Sainsbury’s is a proud long-term supporter of the British Paralympic Association and a champion of inclusive sport for all. For more information on Sainsbury’s commitment to inclusive sport visit www.j-sainsbury.co.uk.