Britain’s James Barnes-Miller has a real incentive to do the business in Beijing
The opening ceremony for the Games is due to take place on Friday, March 4.
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British snowboarder James Barnes-Miller hopes to cement his name in the history books by doing “the business” in Beijing.
Barnes-Miller is bidding to become the first GB athlete to win a Paralympic medal in the sport after his selection for a second successive Games was confirmed on Tuesday.
The 32-year-old from Broadstairs in Kent, who was born without a right hand, finished seventh in the snowboard cross SB-UL and 11th in the banked slalom at PyeongChang in 2018.
He feels far better equipped this time around and heads to China buoyed by winning a silver and two bronze medals in January at the World Championships in Lillehammer, Norway.
“To go in and get three medals is a really good stepping stone for the Games,” he told the PA news agency.
“I feel really good and in a good place at the moment.
“A gold would be incredible but to be the first Paralympic snowboarder from Great Britain to get a medal would be an achievement on it’s own, so I would be super stoked with that.
“I’m going for the gold but I’ll be really happy with the podium.
“Before (in 2018) I didn’t know what I was going into really. You don’t really know it until you get there of what it’s all about. It is a big show.
“Hopefully this year I can go in and do the business.”
The opening ceremony for the Games is due to take place on Friday, March 4, with competition starting the following day and continuing until Sunday, March 13.
Barnes-Miller secured a small piece of history in South Korea four years ago, becoming the first snowboarder to represent Britain at the Paralympics after leaving the gate ahead of compatriots Ben Moore and Owen Pick.
Since then, the self-confessed adrenaline junkie – who skateboarded and surfed from an early age before discovering his love for his primary sport in 2010 – has relocated to the ski resort of Morzine in the French Alps in order to aid training.
A gold would be incredible but to be the first Paralympic snowboarder from Great Britain to get a medal would be an achievement on it's own, so I would be super stoked with that.
The move has paid dividends with his recent world championship medals coming after he last year won the overall Para-snowboard World Cup title following a swift recovery from a shoulder injury.
Reflecting back on his maiden Paralympics, he said: “I think I learnt a lot.
“The main thing for me is I’ve done that experience, taken it all in, had an amazing time and I learnt from that that this time I can really focus on the race because I’ve done everything else.
“I can just solely go there and focus on racing and hopefully do my best.
“I love being in the mountains, it’s just incredible – racing is great fun.”
Barnes-Miller’s journey to the ParalympicsGB team began with a chance meeting with team-mate Pick while on a snowboarding holiday in the Netherlands.
He is eager to repay that favour by helping others break into the sport.
“I don’t look at myself as a role model,” he said.
“I just go out and try and do my best and if that inspires people then I’m stoked with that.
“If anyone ever wanted to get into it, I’m always on social media so get in touch.”