She’s the first Briton since 1988 to win a medal in two sports at the same Paralympics, then it was Isabel Barr in shooting and athletics.
Advertisement
The 23-year-old, who won three golds at both the Beijing and London Games, broke down in tears after her victory, as she did after winning Saturday’s 100m backstroke. “You can come back from setbacks and do incredible things”.
This comes after a successful weekend with a swag of podium finishes.
“I retired after Athens”. That would take him past the current record holder for Paralympic male swimming medals, Australian Matthew Cowdrey, who has 23 – although way off the astonishing 55 medals for the now retired US swimmer Trischa Zorn. Part of me thinks that’s what London 2012 did, how that shocked Paralympic sport through the roof. “But I’m happy to be compared to a great athlete”, he told AFP. Before every day of racing they had a parade of boats which was really special. “I was pretty ecstatic”. I was mentally tired. “The 100m is my favourite event – I have never been beaten over it and didn’t expect to be beaten over it”.
He joined the Battleback programme – a partnership between the British Paralympic Association and the Ministry of Defence – and now is a Paralympic champion.
Nigeria’s performance at the Paralympics has not come as any surprise to many as the country returned with gold medals from London 2012.
“The biggest change in the Paralympics is the public perception and the public profile”, she added.
“This was the hardest thing I’ve ever done”, said Morris.
“That public perception has changed a huge amount”.
No doubt about it, Stilwell definitely benefited from her wealth of experience.
“There is a lot that can transfer from swimming to para-canoe”.
Storey said:”I’m a pursuiter, I shouldn’t be winning the 500m, it should be won by a sprinter”.
“With the paddle, you get a very similar relationship with the water, so there is a lot that is very similar”.
Advertisement
‘”I said before that I would trade all my three silvers at London for one gold, ‘ he said, ‘I get more satisfaction out of a team event than the individual because three people have got to have a ideal ride”.
