Hanlon Promises To Put First-Up Stumble Behind Him 

Josh Hanlon has vowed he will continue to ski aggressively despite a fall in his one-and-done downhill race at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre on Day 1 of skiing competition at the Milano Cortina Paralympic Winter Games. 

Hanlon, in the men’s sitting classification, slipped up early in the race, joining a long list of competitors who did not finish the challenging course.  

“Obviously very frustrating,” the two-time Paralympian said. “But I think I did come through with a bit more speed today. I nailed my line, which is what I’d planned to do.  

“Coming into that turn, it’s a big 90-degree turn, so it’s very challenging and the conditions – I think the ski just didn’t quite hold for what I tried to get out of it. Tactically, I should have probably … tried to be a bit more gentle on it. But I was going for the win.” 

Hanlon had a small bump on his right eyebrow and was checked by Australian Paralympic Team Chief Medical Officer Viran de Silva. He was in good spirits after the event and promised he would continue to go for broke in the rest of his full schedule of disciplines. 

“I don’t want to come down in 10th place, I want to come down first, so you’ve got to give it everything,” he said.  

“I did hit my head, but I didn’t actually know that I’d really hit it until I took my goggles off and got a bit of a lump here. It’s not too bad.  

“I think the mental preparation that we’ve been working on all season has really paid off. I felt great in the gate and pushing out. But yeah, obviously just very frustrating that it didn’t come off.” 

Hanlon described the hill as terrifying and conceded that having his family in the stands added an unusual dimension to the day.  

“I’ll just put it behind me, move on,” he said.  I’m just taking in the same mindset as I’ve had all season. I’ve been trusting myself and adding confidence in my skiing, coming into each race.  

“I’ve got another few chances to show what I can do. So, I’ll stress less and move on. 

“Pushing out and knowing that I’ve given my all will be enough. I don’t want to hold back, I really want to go for it. Whether it pays off or not, I’ll worry about that later.” 

Paralympics Australia