Hollingsworth was speaking here as UK Sport chief executive Liz Nicholl announced a target of 103 medals, with an overall goal of coming second in the medal table.

After the remarkable success of the country's Olympians earlier this month, Hollingsworth and ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission Craig Hunter have a tough job, however the potential is certainly there to rise to the challenge.

"Retaining second place will be tough," said Hollingsworth.

"We have that same opportunity we hope to make a nation proud and bring national unity that has been engendered by our Olympic colleagues.

"We have the chance to challenge and express something positive and different about people's perception of disability.

"There is probably no better manifestation of the positive force of the Paralympics than showing what people are able to do rather than what they are not.

"We have said for some years that with our proud track record of finishing second in Athens, Beijing and Sydney, retaining that place in the home Games is the right place to be.

"If we are to increase our opportunity and maintain our advantage it will require more medals and in more sports.


"With 12 days to go until the start of competition, the pressure is on the individuals to deliver, and on my team to leave no stone unturned and do everything we can to deliver for our athletes.

"But also [the pressure] of the wonderful expectation built up by our colleagues in Team GB.

"We can go into London confident but in no way complacent."

Nicholl laid out the team's target for London 2012 to improve on the performance at Beijing 2008 where British Paralympians secured 102 medals, including 42 golds, finishing second to the hosts.

This Games, it is hoped Britain will claim at least 103 medals, with swimming, cycling, athletics and equestrian set to lead the way as home athletes seek to recreate the momentum experienced by Team GB during the Olympics.

At the upper limit of UK Sport's ambitions for the Paralympics is a medal haul of 145.

The target also involves winning medals in at least 12 of the 18 funded Paralympic sports.

"It is a really exciting possibility we have to inspire the nation through Paralympic sport," said Nicholl.

"We were second in Beijing with 102 medals, that is a lot to keep up with.

"When we came back from Beijing there had to be a step up with four years more funding to develop the programme.


"We want more medals across more sports.

"We know we cannot aspire to be first but we can aspire to close that gap.

"Second is what we want to consolidate at these games."

The United States were only three medals behind Britain in Beijing, with six fewer gold medals, and will be a serious threat to the ambitions of the home Paralympians this summer.

UK Sport has directed £49 million ($77 million/€62 million) of funding – via the National Lottery, the Government and Team 2012 funds – towards Britain's Paralympic preparations.

Britain's Minister for Culture, Media and Sport, Jeremy Hunt, was also here this morning and said that the target set was a "bold" one.

"When we aim for bold things we are able to achieve them," said Hunt.

"The very special place Paralympic sport has in all of our hearts as the home of the Paralympic Movement.

"What we are going to see in the next three or four weeks is the Paralympics surprising the country every bit as much as the Olympics.

"For many Brits this will be the first time they will ever see Paralympics.

"What they will see is incredibly exciting sport from day one to the very end, they will see just as you have your Jess Ennis and Mo Farah in the Olympics, you have Sarah Storey and Ellie Simmonds [pictured above, fourth left, with other British medal winners from Beijing 2008] in the Paralympics."

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