Perrine fourth in Downhill

NSWIS athlete Melissa Perrine has fallen agonisingly short of Australia’s first medal at the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympic Games with a fourth place finish in the women’s vision-impaired Downhill on Saturday.

Perrine, and sighted guide Andrew Bor, came fourth behind gold medallist Solvakia’s Henrieta Farkasova, Great Britain’s Jade Etherington and local hope, Russia’s Aleksandra Frantceva.

It bettered Perrine’s fifth placing in the Downhill at the Vancouver Games four years ago, but was not the type of performance she and Bor were hoping for after a first placing in Downhill at the World Cup event in Canada in January.

“I was nervous but I was also composed and ready. I knew what I had to do and I executed – for the most part – exactly what I wanted to,’’ the 26-year-old said.

“But not everything goes 100 per cent to plan. I’m happy with the run but not happy with the result.’’

Perrine now turns her attention to the Super-G on Monday and the Super Combined (Super-G and Slalom) on Tuesday.