Winter Paralympics: Britain's Menna Fitzpatrick finishes fourth in slalom

Britain's Menna Fitzpatrick missed out on another Winter Paralympic medal by 0.45 seconds as she finished fourth in the visually impaired slalom.

The defending champion was fifth - 0.87secs off the podium - after her first run in Beijing.

But despite a superb second run with guide Gary Smith, she was unable to add to the silver and bronze she won earlier in the Games.

Austrian sisters Veronika and Barbara Aigner took gold and silver.

Veronika, 19, guided by another sibling Elisabeth, was 1.71secs clear of 16-year-old Barbara to win her second gold after victory in Friday's giant slalom, while Slovakian Alexandra Rexova, 16, took bronze.

Fitzpatrick's team-mate Millie Knight was eighth in what was her guide Brett Wild's final race before he retires to return to his career in the Navy and begin officer training, while in the women's seated event, Shona Brownlee finished her maiden Paralympic campaign in ninth.

The 42-year-old took a tumble during her first run but was able to get back upright on her sitski and continue.

Arnold takes to the slopes

Nordic skier Steve Arnold finally made a belated Paralympic debut, finishing 29th in the men's cross country middle distance seated event.

The 42-year-old had to delay his departure to the Games after a positive Covid test.

Once he subsequently received a negative test result he was able to travel, only to again test positive when he landed in China.

However, he was released from isolation early on Saturday in time to compete in his final scheduled race.

In tricky conditions, Scott Meenagh was the leading Briton in 16th with Callum Deboys 20th and Steve Thomas 32nd in a race in which China won gold and silver.

In the women's seated race, Hope Gordon, GB's first female Nordic skier, also found the going tough in 16th.