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Beijing

The pattern of the is already set, and seems likely to achieve success in the same areas as their Olympic predecessors.

So with and one swimming gold after the first day, what is it about these sports which has shot Britain to prominence in areas where we had formerly struggled? And how does Paralympics provision compare with Olympic provision?

Make no mistake, this success, with this level of consistency, is about money.

It is lottery funding, channelled through , which is designed to meet the athletes day-to-day living costs so that they can concentrate full-time on their sport, and provide the money that allows them to train, travel and compete to bring them to their peak at exactly the right time.

Returning home from Beijing with such a hugely talented group of athletes after being away for so long made me feel incredibly proud. We didn't realise how much the team had captured the country's imagination until we .

I was slightly jealous of missing out by 38cm on a business-class seat and the press conference and general adulation of the British public! I sat right at the back of the plane by the toilets feeling immensely proud to be British.

How do you reflect on coming ?

With the first competition starting on Tuesday, all of the hard work has now been done and we are now putting in the final touches to make sure we are 100% prepared for what lies ahead.

We have been in Beijing since last weekend and I have been really impressed by the scale of the village.

The biggest event I had competed in before the Paralympics was the but this is massive, although it seems really well organised and the facilities have been impressive.

Hong Kong

Before I start writing about the weather, can I first mention that none of the riders I have spoken to here have been moaning or trying to shift any blame, but it has to be said that the conditions here are affecting some of the performances.

It seemed more bearable during the Olympics, partly because the competitors rode earlier in the day, partly because they had all spent months riding in duvets and running in heat chambers and partly because of the obvious fact that they are not
disabled.

Although the have done everything they can, they, like everyone else, are finding the conditions difficult.