Great Britain competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. Great Britain sent a delegation of around 400, of which 212 were athletes, to compete in eighteen sports at the Games. The team was made up of athletes from the whole United Kingdom; athletes from Northern Ireland, who may elect to hold Irish citizenship under the pre-1999 article 2 of the Irish constitution, are able to be selected to represent either Great Britain or Ireland at the Paralympics. Additionally some British overseas territories compete separately from Britain in Paralympic competition.

Britain finished second in the medal table, behind host nation China, winning 42 gold medals and 102 total medals, equalling the team's position in the medal table at the 2004 Athens Games. The number of medals won was an increase on the 94 medals and 35 golds in Athens. The team was the most successful in two decades, with 80 different athletes winning at least one medal. The United Kingdom was the next host of the Summer Paralympics, holding the 2012 Games in London.

Disability classifications

Every participant at the Paralympics has their disability grouped into one of five disability categories; amputation, the condition may be congenital or sustained through injury or illness; cerebral palsy; wheelchair athletes, there is often overlap between this and other categories; visual impairment, including blindness; Les autres, any physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other categories, for example dwarfism or multiple sclerosis. Each Paralympic sport then has its own classifications, dependent upon the specific physical demands of competition. Events are given a code, made of numbers and letters, describing the type of event and classification of the athletes competing. Some sports, such as athletics, divide athletes by both the category and severity of their disabilities, other sports, for example swimming, group competitors from different categories together, the only separation being based on the severity of the disability.

Medallists

The following British competitors won medals at the games, all dates are September 2008. In the 'by discipline' sections below, medallists' names are in bold.

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Medal Name Sport Event Date Cycling Men's individual pursuit – CP3 Cycling Men's individual 1 km time trial – LC3-4 Cycling Women's individual 1 km time trial – B&VI Swimming Men's 200 m individual medley – SM6 Cycling Men's 1 km time trial – B&VI Swimming Men's 100 m freestyle – S7 Swimming Women's 100 m freestyle – S6 Cycling Men's individual 1 km time trial – LC2 Cycling Men's individual 1 km time trial – CP3 Cycling Men's individual pursuit – LC3 Cycling Women's individual pursuit – B&VI Cycling Men's individual 1 km time trial – LC1 Swimming Men's 100 m breaststroke – SB7 Equestrian Individual championship test – Grade Ia Equestrian Individual championship test – Grade Ib Equestrian Team championship Cycling Women's individual pursuit – LC1-2/CP 4 Cycling Men's sprint – B&VI 1–3 Cycling Men's team sprint – LC1-4\CP3/4 Swimming Women's 100 m backstroke – S8 Swimming Men's 4×100 m freestyle – 34 points Shooting Mixed R3 10 m air rifle prone – SH1 Rowing Women's single sculls – A Rowing Men's single sculls – A Swimming Men's 400 m freestyle – S7 Equestrian Individual freestyle test – Grade Ia Equestrian Individual freestyle test – Grade Ib Cycling Women's time trial – HCA/HCB/HCC Cycling Mixed time trial – CP1/CP2 Cycling Women's time trial – LC1-2/CP 4 Boccia Mixed team – BC1/BC2 Swimming Men's 400 m freestyle – S8 Swimming Women's 100 m breaststroke – SB6 Archery Women's individual compound – Open Archery Men's individual compound – Open Cycling Men's road race – CP3 Cycling Mixed road race – CP1/CP2 Athletics Men's 800 m – T54 Tennis Quad singles – Open Swimming Women's 400 m freestyle – S6 Swimming Men's 50 m freestyle – S7 Athletics Men's 1500 m – T54 Swimming Men's 200 m freestyle – S2 Swimming Women's 100 m freestyle – S8 Swimming Women's 100 m freestyle – S9 Athletics Men's discus throw – F33/34/52 Swimming Women's 100 m backstroke – S6 Cycling Men's 1 km time trial – CP3 Equestrian Individual championship test – Grade Ia Athletics Women's 100 m – T12 Boccia Mixed individual – BC2 Athletics Men's 100 m – T36 Swimming Men's 100 m backstroke – S7 Equestrian Individual freestyle test – Grade II Athletics Men's 400 m – T54 Equestrian Individual freestyle test – Grade Ia Equestrian Individual freestyle test – Grade Ib Equestrian Individual freestyle test – Grade III Cycling Men's time trial – CP3 Cycling Men's time trial – LC3 Swimming Women's 400 m freestyle – S8 Swimming Men's 100 m breaststroke – SB6 Swimming Men's 50 m butterfly – S7 Swimming Men's 50 m freestyle – S7 Archery Men's individual compound – W1 Athletics Men's club throw – F32/51 Swimming Men's 50 m backstroke – S2 Swimming Women's 50 m backstroke – S3 Swimming Men's 400 m freestyle – S10 Athletics Men's 100 m – T53 Athletics Women's 1500 m – T54 Swimming Women's 200 m individual medley – SM6 Swimming Men's 200 m individual medley – SM7 Swimming Men's 100 m freestyle – S7 Swimming Men's 100 m freestyle – S2 Swimming Men's 200 m freestyle – S5 Swimming Women's 100 m breaststroke – SB8 Judo Men −90 kg Swimming Women's 100 m breaststroke – SB9 Swimming Men's 100 m backstroke – S8 Rowing Mixed coxed four – LTA Swimming Men's 200 m individual medley – SM8 Swimming Women's 200 m individual medley – SM8 Swimming Women's 200 m individual medley – SM9 Athletics Men's 5000 m – T54 † Athletics Women's 5000 m – T54 Swimming Men's 100 m breaststroke – SB6 Archery Women's individual compound – Open Athletics Women's 200 m – T36 Swimming Men's 50 m freestyle – S2 Swimming Men's 50 m butterfly – S6 Swimming Women's 50 m freestyle – S3 Athletics Men's 200 m – T44 Tennis Quad doubles – Open Athletics Men's 100 m – T42 Swimming Women's 50 m freestyle – S9 Swimming Men's 400 m freestyle – S6 Athletics Men's discus throw – F44 Swimming Women's 50 m freestyle – S6 Great Britain nationalwheelchair basketball teamBasketballMen's tournament Athletics Men's 400 m – T44 Athletics Women's 100 m – T36 | width="22%" align="left" valign="top" |

Medals by disciplineDisciplineTotalArchery2114Athletics27817Wheelchair basketball0011Boccia1102Cycling173020Equestrian55010Wheelchair fencing0000Football five-a-side0000Football seven-a-side0000Judo0011Powerlifting0000Rowing2013Wheelchair rugby0000Sailing0000Shooting1001Swimming11121841Table tennis0000Wheelchair tennis1012Total422931102

Medals by dateDayDateTotal17 Sep 4 1 2728 Sep 3 3 1739 Sep 9 6 419410 Sep 5 3 210511 Sep 6 3 514612 Sep 6 4 212713 Sep 5 1 713814 Sep 3 2 38915 Sep 0 4 261016 Sep 1 2 36Total 42 29 31 102

† Shelly Woods was initially awarded the silver medal in the athletics, women's 5000 m T54. However a re-run of the race was ordered by the International Paralympic Committee after the result was protested.

Multiple medallists

The following competitors won multiple medals at the 2008 Paralympic Games.

Name Medal Sport Events Cycling Men's individual pursuit – CP3 Men's 1 km time trial – CP3 Men's team sprint – LC1-4\CP3/4 Men's road race – CP3Men's time trial – CP3 Swimming Men's 100 m freestyle – S7 Men's 4×100 m freestyle relay – 34 pointsMen's 400 m freestyle – S7Men's 50 m freestyle – S7 Equestrian Individual championship test – Grade Ib Team eventIndividual freestyle test – Grade Ib Athletics Men's 800 m – T54 Men's 1500 m – T54 Men's 400 m – T54Men's 5000 m – T54 Equestrian Team event Individual freestyle test – Grade Ia Individual championship test – Grade Ia Equestrian Individual championship test – Grade Ia Team eventIndividual freestyle test – Grade Ia Cycling Men's individual 1 km time trial – LC3-4 Men's individual pursuit – LC3 Men's time trial – LC3 Swimming Men's 200 m individual medley – SM6 Men's 100 m breaststroke – SB7Men's 50 m butterfly – S6 Cycling Men's individual 1 km time trial – LC1 Men's team sprint – LC1-4\CP3/4 Cycling Men's individual 1 km time trial – LC2 Men's team sprint – LC1-4\CP3/4 Cycling Women's individual 1 km time trial – B&VI Women's individual pursuit – B&VI Cycling Men's individual 1 km time trial – B&VI Men's sprint – B&VI Cycling Women's individual 1 km time trial – B&VI Women's individual pursuit – B&VI Swimming Women's 100 m freestyle – S6 Women's 400 m freestyle – S6 Cycling Mixed road race – CP1/CP2 Mixed time trial – CP1/CP2 Cycling Men's individual 1 km time trial – B&VI Men's sprint – B&VI Cycling Women's individual pursuit – LC1-2/CP4 Women's time trial – LC1-2/CP4 Swimming Men's 4×100 m freestyle relay – 34 points Men's 50 m butterfly – S7 Men's 50 m freestyle – S7 Men's 200 m individual medley – SM7 Men's 100 m freestyle – S7 Swimming Women's 100 m backstroke – S8 Women's 100 m freestyle – S8Women's 400 m freestyle – S8Women's 200 m individual medley – SM8 Equestrian Team event Individual freestyle test – Grade III Boccia Mixed individual – BC2 Mixed team – BC1/BC2 Swimming Men's 4x100 m freestyle relay – 34 points Men's 400 m freestyle – S10 Swimming Men's 400 m freestyle – S8 Men's 200 m individual medley – SM8 Tennis Quad singles – Open Quad doubles – Open Swimming Men's 200 m freestyle – S2 Men's 50 m backstroke – S2 Men's 100 m freestyle – S2 Men's 50 m freestyle – S2 Swimming Women's 100 m freestyle – S9 Women's 100 m breaststroke – SB9Women's 200 m individual medley – SM9Women's 50 m freestyle – S9 Swimming Women's 50 m backstroke – S3 Women's 50 m freestyle – S3 Athletics Women's 1500 m – T54 Women's 5000 m – T54 Athletics Men's 200 m – T44 Men's 400 m – T44 Swimming Women's 200 m individual medley – SM6 Women's 50 m freestyle – S6 Athletics Women's 200 m – T36 Women's 400 m – T36 Swimming Men's 100 m breaststroke – SB6 Men's 400 m freestyle – S6

Targets In July 2008, UK Sport, the body responsible for the distribution of National Lottery funding to elite sport, published its expectations for the Games. It identified a 112 "stretch" medal target and expected to win 95 of them, including around 35 gold medals to finish second in the medal table.

The athletes met the expectations of UK Sport for total medals, gold medals and medal table position, finishing second behind hosts China with 42 gold and 102 total medals. The medals claimed were not all ones that had been targeted, the team fell short of targets in some sports whilst it exceeded them in others; out of the fifteen sports set a target eight succeeded in meeting them.

Sport Athens 2004 result "Stretch" Beijing target Won Target metArchery 2 6 4 Athletics 17 30 17 Wheelchair basketball 1 1 1 Boccia 0 2 2 Cycling 7 14 20 Equestrian 8 7 10 Wheelchair fencing 0 0 0 – Football five-a-side 0 0 0 –Football seven-a-side 0 0 0 –Judo 1 1 1 Powerlifting 1 2 0 Rowing N/A 1 3 Wheelchair rugby 0 1 0 Sailing 0 0 0 –Shooting 1 1 1 Swimming 52 41 41 Table tennis 2 4 0 Wheelchair tennis 2 1 2 Total 94 112 102 Total expected – 95 102 Total gold 35 35 42

Archery

Great Britain's archery squad for the Games included twelve athletes. In all, four archery medals, two gold, one silver and one bronze, were won by British archers, which meant that they finished second in the archery medal table. John Stubbs, a former England disabled cricketer, set a new world record score of 691 in the ranking round on the route to victory in the men's individual compound open. In the equivalent women's event Danielle Brown beat compatriot, and eventual bronze medallist, Mel Clarke before going on to win the gold.

Men