Meenagh back in action

We’ve all been there. After a busy day you turn off the light and your head is racing.

However, few of us will ever have to digest competing in a grueling competition with the eyes of the world watching, knowing you have to wake up in the morning to do it all again.

For Scott Meenagh that is exactly what he had to do. After becoming Britain’s first Para Nordic skier for 20 years on Saturday he had little time to savour the moment with the small matter of a 15km cross-country awaiting him on Sunday morning.

After finishing 18th on Saturday Meenagh bettered that result by one on Sunday, clocking 46:07.4 to finish 17th on his second race at PyeongChang 2018 – narrowly missing out on 16th after a sprint to the line with China’s Bitao Huang.

It was a sprint that meant the Scot collapsed into the snow upon crossing the line and admits he had nothing left in the tank.

Quote

I think I was still buzzing last night.

Scott Meenagh

Meenagh finished 17th in his second Paralympic race

Two down, four to go

“I really enjoyed that, I gave it everything. I left everything out there today I’m so tired now,” said Meenagh.

“It’s probably harder to switch off after the first race than before the first race. I think I was still buzzing last night.

“When you turn the light off that’s when you really start to truly and deeply analyse what went on during the day.

“It’s been amazing and fortunately I managed to get to sleep last night and to be straight back up and onto that buzz today has been unreal.”

For Meenagh a well-earned rest day awaits on Monday before four more days of competition – not that he is fazed by the intensity of the Games.

“To race under the British flag is a huge privilege and to be doing it on this stage and in the public eye is a great honour,” he added.

“You inevitably get tired with so many races but I’ve been racing every race at World Cups this year so we are well practiced in our recovery strategies. This is what we are here for so we’ll race smart and recover smart.

“I feel like I’m in a rhythm now. I’ve got the steam out of the system and today when we came in we were a lot more relaxed and I got into my groove and raced my race today.

“All the big boys came here today and to consider myself among them and to be providing credible results on that start line with such talent is great. I’m very proud to call myself a Paralympian and to consider myself among them.”

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