British athletes enjoy podium places at the Paralympics as the action continues in Tokyo
Sammi Kinghorn, Olivia Breen and Columba Blango are the latest Britons to win medals at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Kinghorn won the T53 women’s 100m bronze and there were similar medals for Breen in the women’s T38 long jump and Blango in the men’s T20 400m.
For Kinghorn it was her first Paralympic medal as she was fourth in the T53 800m earlier in the Games. She clocked 16.53 behind Chinese athletes Gao Fang and Zhou Hongzhuan.
“I am absolutely ecstatic,” she said. “I was fifth in Rio and third now. I am learning every time I’m going out on the track. I know I made some errors there but I came away with the bronze medal so I am very happy.
“Obviously that fourth in the 800m was hard, so I wasn’t going to come fourth again, I was going to get on the podium.”
The 25-year-old competes again on Thursday in the T53 400m.
Breen claimed her second Paralympic medal nine years after her first, which came in the relay at London 2012. Breen jumped 4.91m behind winner Luca Ekler of Hungary, who jumped a world record of 5.63m, and Russian Margarita Goncharova, who leapt 5.29m.
“After I landed that first jump, I knew it was going to be a great competition. I just wanted to jump for my life and show what I can do,” said Breen.
“This is my first individual Paralympic medal. I really wanted it in Rio but I put too much pressure on myself.
“You just have to keep driving, keep working hard and just never give up. I am more mature and I wanted to make the most of every minute of this experience. It is a dream come true.”
Blango, meanwhile, won his first Paralympic medal at his first Games. He produced a strong finish in his one-lap race to clock 47.71 behind winner Charles-Antoine Kouakou of France (47.63) and Venezuela’s Luis Felipe Rodriguez Bolivar.
“For a first Paralympic final, that was very good,” said Blango, whose father represented Sierra Leone as a decathlete in the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
“I could see the Spanish athlete ahead of me [Deliber Rodriguez Ramirez] slowing down so I just told myself, ‘you’ve got this’. I just kept going, I am so pleased to win a medal. This was a tough race.”
“My dad always said one day I would make it and he was right.”
Elsewhere Markus Rehm of Germany – known as the Blade Jumper – won his third successive long jump title with 8.18m in the men’s T64 final.
“To jump 8.18m is not too bad but I aimed for a longer jump,” the 33-year-old said. “That’s sport. Today was about the gold. Maybe we can attack the [world record] another time.”
Wheelchair racer Leo Pekka Tahti from Finland saw his 17-year reign as men’s 100m T54 champion ended by Thai teenager Athiwat Paneg-Nuea. The 38-year-old, who has won gold at the four previous Paralympics, took silver behind the younger man.
Raoua Tlili of Tunisia, however, retained her women’s F41 discus title with a world record of 37.91m with her final throw.