Based on each gold medal won compared to the population of the country, Welsh officials have claimed that had they competed as an individual country they would have been the most successful nation in Beijing, ahead of New Zealand and Australia.

 

England would have finished sixth.

 

Massaging of statistics aside, the performance from the 31 Welsh athletes who represented Britain in the Paralympics was stunning and a triumph for the high-performance system put in place by the Principality.

 

Philip Carling, chairman of the Sports Council for Wales, said: “A few years ago, Disability Sport in Wales was not the picture of health it is today.

 

“Yes, the likes of Tanni Grey-Thompson, Chris Hallam and John Harries may have been world-beating trail-blazers but the systems were not in place to boost grassroots opportunities or to properly nurture talent.”

 

Carling claimed the results of seeds the current success were sown in 2002. 

 

He said: “We made disability sport a clear priority and channelled Welsh Assembly Government funding into two strategic posts – an executive director and a national performance manager for Disability Sport Wales.”

 

Today, the duo of Jon Morgan, as director, and Antony Hughes, as national performance manager, form a strong alliance of smart thinking, technical know-how and a keen eye for talent identification.

 

Their efforts are now bolstered by a strong team.

 

Next, the Sports Council directed its National Lottery budget into launching a nationwide Disability Sport Wales Community programme.

 

Morgan said: “The investment into the community programme is certainly paying off.

 

"In 2007-8, well over 300,000 opportunities were provided for people with disabilities in Wales to take part in sport.

 

“Making a firm commitment to long-term support, the Sports Council’s decision allowed Disability Sport Wales to employ development officers within each local authority of Wales as well as a community manager to provide strategic direction.”

 

This now well-established set-up of officers embedded in each local authority is unparalleled internationally.

 

Morgan said: “More recently, an Academy has been launched.

 

"It is due to celebrate its second anniversary in October.

 

"It serves as a production line for emerging sportsmen and women – ensuring they have the right support to achieve their full potential.”

 

The Academy is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government’s Sportsmatch Cymru scheme which match-funds the commercial sponsorship invested by Welsh company, Ace Feet in Motion.

 

It currently supports more than 80 young athletes through a tailor-made range of programmes and services.

 

Though the set-up is in its infancy, success stories abound.

 

Jenny McLoughlin of Chepstow , a 16-year-old sprinter, for example, who made her Paralympic debut in Beijing.

 

She made a final as did so many of the 15 first-timers.

 

In addition, to the Welsh competitors in Beijing, a whole raft of Paralympians have decided to base themselves in Wales so that they can benefit from the first-class facilities and support structures.

 

Their relocation is another clear sign of Wales’ prominence, officials claim.

 

Eleanor Simmonds, the 13-year-old swimmer who won two gold medals, is just one of the many swimmers who have relocated to Swansea - in her case Walsall  - to train at the Wales National Pool with Neath-born coach Billy Pye. 

 

Carling said: “It is not just investment which has put Wales at the forefront of disability sport.

 

"We have some very good people doing a great job.

 

"Billy Pye is an example of the first-class coaching talent we have here in Wales.

 

“It is essential that we continue to ensure that our systems are the best in world and are ahead of our competitors if we are to continue to achieve at the current level.

 

"Top coaches are required if we are to remain successful.”