High in the mountains outside Beijing the boss of Britain’s Winter Paralympics team paused and allowed himself a deep breath.
Phil Smith had just heard Russia and Belarus were being kicked out of the Games, bringing an end to a turbulent 24 hours for the entire Paralympic movement.
Organisers had overturned their contentious decision to allow the two pariah nations to compete as “neutral” athletes and for the first time the roar of dissent had quietened enough for him to hear himself think.
