THE Special Olympics Jamaica team returned from the Republic of Korea on Thursday morning after what was described as a “successful trip” by head of delegation Glendon West.

The Jamaicans surprised many by winning two silver medals in ice figure skating to go with their second-place finish in floor hockey at the World Winter Games.

“Generally, it was a successful trip… we won medals in figure skating and the floor hockey team did really well to win silver though it was not a repeat of the gold medal (won in 2009),” said a tired-looking West.

“It’s a rewarding trip for the entire team because we came back with three medals. Everyone knows that winning a medal in any competition is not easy. I congratulate all team members and I’m sure Jamaica is proud of all the athletes.”

During the eight-day Pyeongchang 2013 Games, which ended on February 5, Jamaica’s history-making figure skating pair of Nigel Davis and Tamra Mitchell took silver in the Team Level One category of ice dancing, while the former also placed second in the Singles Male Level One equivalent.

Jamaica’s 16-member floor hockey team fought ferociously to cop the silver medal in the top-tier Division T1 on the final day of competition.

Added West: “When we won gold in Idaho 2009 that was in Division Two. We moved up to Division One and we faced teams who were already there. The effort from the players was valiant and we couldn’t ask for more.”

“It was an excellent performance from the skaters… Tamra and Nigel did really well on the ice and that should be commended. The coach (Jacqueline Bennett) has communicated that we could have entered freestyle (ice dancing) instead of pattern (ice dancing) so the athletes could express themselves more. That is something we will consider in the future,” West went on.

In the meantime, the head of delegation praised organisers for staging a well-run competition that incorporated Korean tradition and culture.

“The Games was well-organised… the language in terms of communication was a bit of a challenge, but we pulled through. It’s the best Games I’ve been to in terms of organisation and they should be proud of that,” he said.

The Special Olympic Games provide people with intellectual disabilities the chance to show their athletic capabilities and target the breaking down of barriers that exclude them from mainstream society.

The disabilities can either be acquired or genetic and can include cases of cerebral palsy, Down’s Syndrome, traumatic brain injury and autism.

The SOJ is sponsored by telecommunication giant Digicel, as well as the Sports Development Foundation, PUMA, Development Options Limited, Team Jamaica Bickle, and the Law Enforcement Officers group.

Head of delegation Glendon West; coaches — Yolanda Reid, Valery Murphy, Michelle Romans and Jacqueline Bennett; physiotherapist Patricia Lue-Chin; athletes Dwight Brooks, Omar Brown, Oshaine Daley, Rayan Farquharson, Andre Folkes, Jason Grant, Dexter Haughton, Jermaine Henry, Keneil Hewitt, Andrew Hinds, Lucan Jones, Sydney Manyan, Shawn Myers, Craig Nelson, Matthew Tarawali, David Thompson, Nigel Davis, and Tamra Mitchell.