James Whitley (alpine skier)

Last updated

James Whitley
James Whitley of GBR 2.JPG
Whitley at La Molina, 2013
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born (1997-11-17) 17 November 1997 (age 26)
Sport
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
Sport Para alpine skiing
Event(s) Slalom
Giant Slalom
Achievements and titles
Paralympic finals 2014 Sochi
2018 Pyeongchang
2022 Beijing

James Whitley (born 17 November 1997) is a British alpine skier, who competes in the slalom, giant slalom SuperG, Downhill and Super Combined events. A promising junior skier, Whitley qualified to represent Great Britain's team at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi for his debut Paralympics. In January 2018 it was announced by BPA (British Paralympic Association) and PSGB (ParaSnowSportsGB) that Whitley had been selected to compete in Pyeongchang in the 2018 Winter Paralympics. In February 2022, Whitley was named by the BPA as part of the ParalympicsGB squad for the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics. [1]

Contents

Personal history

Whitley was born on 17 November 1997. [2] He is the grandson of James Chichester-Clark, Lord Moyola, the former Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. [3] [4] [5] He spent his childhood in Sussex and at Castledawson in Northern Ireland. Whitley was born without both hands and despite multiple operations, fingers constructed for both his limbs have failed to gain enough nerve or muscle function. [6] His Paralympic Class is LW5/7-3. He attended St. Bede's Preparatory School before going to Millfield School, a boarding school in Somerset, England. Whitley has been dating actress Ella Heryet since 2020 and they currently reside in West Sussex.

Skiing career

Whitley began skiing at the age of four years [7] while with his family at Courchevel, France. He first trained with Ecole du Ski Français. He showed promise as a youth and in 2007, aged 10 was offered a place on the British Disabled Ski Team (BDST). He started to race with the British team when he was 11 in 2008. [7] In 2012 he came second in the giant slalom and third in slalom at the Italian National Championships, his first senior medals. In 2013 Whitley entered the 2013 IPC Skiing World Championships in La Molina, where he finished 11th in the slalom. [3]

In early 2014 it was announced that he had been selected for the Great Britain team at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, competing in the standing events. [8] This made him the only standing skier competing for ParalympicsGB. [9] The 2014 Winter Paralympics was Whitley's debut Paralympics; he competed in the slalom (14th place) on 13 March 2014, and giant slalom (15th place) on the 15 March. [10]

Whitley left school in 2016 and has competed full time since the beginning of the 2016/17 season. He competes in the Para Alpine Skiing World Cup (WPAS) in Slalom, Giant Slalom, SuperG, Downhill and Super Combined. He was British Champion in the inaugural British Para Alpine Championships in 2016 and again in 2017. He won gold in the Europa Cup Finals in Veysonnaz in 2017 and was 4th overall in the Europa Cup competition. In the World Cup he ended the season 5th in Super Combined and 9th in Slalom.

On 10 March 2022, Whitley secured his best-ever Paralympic result with a 6th place finish in the giant slalom [11] at the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing.

Motor racing career

Whitley in Team Brit racing outfit Silverstone 2022 James Whitley motor racing.jpg
Whitley in Team Brit racing outfit Silverstone 2022
BMW M240i Racing edition car BMW M240i racing edition.jpg
BMW M240i Racing edition car
Championship winners Whitley and co-driver Overend at Donington Park Circuit Team Brit - winners of Britcar Trophy Championship 2022.jpg
Championship winners Whitley and co-driver Overend at Donington Park Circuit

In 2021 Whitley joined Team BRIT [12] and after gaining his racing licence competed alongside co-driver Chris Overend [13] in a BMW M240i in class 2 of the 2022 Britcar Trophy Championship.

Britcar Trophy races are 50 minutes long with a driver change pit stop approximately half way through, each race consisting of at least 30 cars competing in 5 different classes.

All event results are published by TSL Timing Solutions. [14]

Race Results Team Brit BMW M240i

Race circuitDateRace numberPlace in classDrivers/Remarks
Silverstone13-March-202213rdThomas/Overend + Fastest Lap
SIlverstone13-March-202221stThomas/Overend + Fastest Lap
Snetterton15-May-202213rdWhitley/Overend + Fastest Lap
Snetterton15-May-202221stOverend/Whitley + Fastest Lap
Silverstone4-Jun-202211stWhitley/Overend + Fastest Lap
Silverstone4-Jun-202221stOverend/Whitley + Fastest Lap
Silverstone19-June-202212ndWhitley/Overend + Fastest Lap
Silverstone19-June-202221stOverend/Whitley + Fastest Lap
Donington14-August-202212ndWhitley/Overend
Donington14-August-202221stOverend/Whitley + Fastest Lap
Donington23-October-202211stOverend/Whitley + Fastest Lap
Donington23-October-202222ndWhitley/Overend

At the end of the season, James Whitley and Chris Overend were championship winners, becoming probably the only disabled drivers pairing to win a British racing championship [15]

In 2023, Whitley continued to partner Chris Overend in Team BRIT competing in the Britcar Endurance series.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toby Kane</span> Australian para-alpine skier

Toby Kane is an Australian Paralympian who won a bronze medal in the men's super G Standing at the 2006 Winter Paralympics in Torino and a bronze medal in the men's super G standing in his third Winter Paralympics at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi. Invited to join the Australian Winter Paralympic Development team when he was just 11, he became the youngest member of the Australian team in Torino at the age of 19. He had the honour of being Australia's flag bearer at the closing ceremony in Torino, and at the opening ceremony in Vancouver. Towards the end of the Sochi Games, Kane and Dutch snowboarder Bibian Mentel-Spee were named winners of the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award, which is presented at every Paralympic Games for outstanding performances and overcoming adversity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Gallagher (alpine skier)</span> British skier

Kelly Gallagher MBE, is a retired British skier and the first athlete from Northern Ireland to compete in the Winter Paralympics. Gallagher won Britain's first ever Winter Paralympic gold medal during Sochi 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australia at the 1994 Winter Paralympics</span> Sporting event delegation

The 1994 Winter Paralympics were held in Lillehammer, Norway. Australia sent six male skiers, who won three gold, two silver and four bronze medals. Australia, at the time, achieved their best ever performance at a Winter Paralympics, finishing 5th overall in the alpine skiing competition, 9th in the medal standings, and 11th in the total medal count out of 31 nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameron Rahles-Rahbula</span> Australian Paralympic alpine skier

Cameron Rahles-Rahbula is a former Paralympic alpine skier from Australia. He won two bronze medals at the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver. He represented Australia in four Paralympics, stating with the 2002 Winter Paralympics in Salt Lake City and the 2006 Winter Paralympics in Torino. He did not compete in any events at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi due to knee and ankle injuries sustained during the warm up for the downhill event of the Games but carried the Australian flag in the Parade of Nations at the Opening Ceremony. He also won two gold medals and a silver medal at the 2004 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Wildschönau, Austria, and a gold and a bronze medal at the 2009 World Championships in Jeongseon, Korea. He retired after the Sochi Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Perrine</span> Australian para-alpine skier

Melissa Perrine is a B2 classified visually impaired para-alpine skier from Australia. She has competed at the four Winter Paralympics from 2010 to 2022. At the 2015 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships, she won three gold, one silver and one bronze medals. At the 2018 Winter Paralympics, she won two bronze medals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitchell Gourley</span> Australian Paralympic alpine skier

Mitchell Gourley is an Australian Paralympic alpine skier who competed for Australia in the downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom and super combined events at four Winter Paralympics - 2010 to 2022. He was Australian team co-captain with Joany Badenhorst at the 2018 Winter Paralympics. At the 2022 Winter Paralympics, he and Melissa Perrine carried the Australian flag in the opening ceremony. At the 2017 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Tarvisio, Italy he won the gold medal in the men's Super Combined Standing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Pendergast</span> Australian F58 athletics shot put competitor (born 1991)

Victoria "Tori" Pendergast is an Australian F58 athletics shot put competitor and LW12.1 classified Para-alpine skier. When she competed at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, she became Australia's first female sit skier at the Winter Paralympics. She competed in two events, finishing seventh in women's slalom sit-ski and tenth in the women's giant slalom sit-ski. She also won a silver and a bronze medal in the slalom and super-G at the 2013 North America Cup, and a bronze medal in the giant slalom at the 2013 IPC World Cup in Thredbo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Britain at the 2014 Winter Paralympics</span> Sporting event delegation

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland competed at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, held between 7–16 of March 2014. The team was known by it shortened name of Great Britain, for identification purposes.

Karolina Chrapek is an alpine skier representing Poland. She competed for Poland at the 2014 Winter Olympics in the alpine skiing events. She finished 17th in the combined, 33rd in the downhill and giant slalom, and failed to finish the slalom and super-G. She also competed at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in 2011 and 2013. In 2011, she finished 20th in the super combined, 33rd in the slalom and 34th in the super-G, while in 2013 she finished 27th in the super combined. Chrapek also competed at the 2013 Winter Universiade, where she finished second in the super-G and third in the downhill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Schaffelhuber</span> German para-alpine skier

Anna Katharina Schaffelhuber is a German para-alpine skier. At the 2014 Winter Paralympics she won five gold medals, becoming only the second athlete to sweep the alpine skiing events.

Michael Brennan is a British alpine skier. Brennan lost both his lower legs in a bomb attack whilst serving in the British army in Iraq in 2004. His rehabilitation saw him first attempt to compete in the Summer Paralympics in Beijing before switching to alpine ski sports. In 2014 he qualified for the Great Britain team for the Winter Paralympics in Sochi as a sit-skier.

Millicent Genevieve Knight is a British skier and student who competes at international level for ParalympicsGB in alpine skiing in the slalom, giant slalom Super-G, super combined and Downhill events with a sighted guide, Brett Wild. When Knight was one year old, she contracted an illness, diagnosed at age three, which resulted in the loss of most of her vision by the age of six. She joined the Great Britain Paralympic skiing team in 2012, and progressed to compete at international-level events. Knight was the British flagbearer at Sochi in 2014 – her debut Paralympics - where, at the age of 15, she was the youngest person ever to compete for ParalympicsGB at the Winter Games. In the same year Knight also became an Honorary Doctor of the University of Kent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jade Etherington</span> British alpine skier

Jade Etherington is a British former alpine skier who, with her sighted guide Caroline Powell, won silver in the women's downhill skiing, combined and slalom, and bronze medals in the Super-G at the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games in Sochi. Their three silvers and a bronze at the Winter Paralympics made them the most successful female British Winter Paralympians of all time, and the first Britons to win four medals at one Paralympics. Because of her success at the 2014 Paralympics, Etherington was the British flagbearer at the 2014 Winter Paralympics closing ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Turney</span> British Paralympic alpine skier

Anna Turney is a British alpine skier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna-Lena Forster</span> German para-alpine skier

Anna-Lena Forster is a German para-alpine skier who competed at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Winter Paralympics winning six medals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menna Fitzpatrick</span> British para-alpine skier

Menna Fitzpatrick MBE is a British alpine skier. She is visually impaired having only 5% vision and formerly skied with guide Jennifer Kehoe until 2021. They competed at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang in March 2018 where they took four medals, including a gold in the slalom, making Fitzpatrick Team GB's most decorated Winter Paralympian.

Jennifer Kehoe British Army officer and skier

Major Jennifer "Jen" Kehoe is an author and former professional skier, formerly competing with visually impaired athlete Menna Fitzpatrick as her sighted guide on the IPC World Cup circuit and has represented Great Britain winning four medals including gold at the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Games in South Korea becoming Britains most decorated winter Paralympians. She was a British Army Officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Britain at the 2022 Winter Paralympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Great Britain competed at the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing, China which took place between 4–13 March 2022.

Shona Brownlee MBE is a British skier and Royal Air Force Corporal. She won two medals at the 2021 World Para Snow Sports Championships, and competed at the 2022 Winter Paralympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Team BRIT</span> British auto racing team

Team BRIT is a British auto racing team formed in 2015, originally based at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, home of the Top Gear test track, but now in Washington, West Sussex. The team is composed of disabled drivers and competes in three British motor racing series, the British GT Championship, Britcar Endurance and Britcar Trophy, with the ultimate aim to race in 24 Hours of Le Mans

References

  1. "20-strong Ski and Snowboard squad selected to represent ParalympicsGB at Beijing Games – GB Snowsport". gbsnowsport.com. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  2. "James Whitley". Sochi. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Elite Squad: James Whitley". disabilitysnowsport.org.uk. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  4. Campbell, Stanley. "Paralympic ski star Whitley has Castledawson connections". midulstermail.co.uk. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  5. "James Whitley". paralympics.channel4.com. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  6. "James Whitley". infostradasports.com. Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  7. 1 2 "Millfield School skier James Whitley eager and focused for Sochi Paralympics". Central Somerset Gazette. 6 March 2014. Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  8. "Sochi 2014: GB name Winter Paralympic ski team". BBC Sport. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  9. Hanna, Laurie (3 March 2014). "Whitley seeks F1 speed in Sochi". Channel 4. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  10. "Sochi 2014: GB Winter Paralympic team profiles". BBC. 28 February 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  11. "Beijing Results". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  12. "James Whitley at Team Brit". Team Brit.
  13. "Chris Overend at Team Brit". Team Brit.
  14. "TSL Timing Solutions". TSL Timing Solutions.
  15. "Britcar Trophy Championship goes to the wire". Britcar Endurance.