Athletics Australia – News – PARALYMPICS: Fearnley & Beattie lead five medal haul

Kurt Fearnley (NSW) and Carlee Beattie (Qld) have added two SILVER medals to the Australian tally in the Paralympic stadium tonight, while Simon Patmore (Qld), Richard Colman (Vic) and Angela Ballard (NSW) won BRONZE to ensure Australian success in every final we competed.

Fearnley, a nine-time Paralympic medallist, was forced to battle it out in arguably the highlight of the program so far with the world champion Marcel Hug (SUI, 4th, 11:08.16) and local favourite David Weir (GBR, first, 11:07.65) to ensure his silver in the T54 wheelchair 5000m.

Leading from the front for much of the race to ensure that when the push for home was made he was in the right position, Fearnley missed gold by just 0.35 seconds to cross in 11:07.90.

Fearnley said: “I went as hard as was available to me today and thought I had him on the home straight but he obviously had a few more legs, or in our case arms, left in him to push across in first place.

“I sat at the front so that I was ready for an attack and that paid off in the end, I crossed second so was where I needed to be.

“We all raced to our ability today, Weir was the best athlete out there, but there is a bit more to come yet. I am in great shape, as great a shape as I could be coming into a Games, and that’s where you need to be.”

Fearnley and Weir will again do battle across 1500m when the rounds for this event take place tomorrow and in the marathon next Sunday.

In the F46 long jump for athletes with a deficiency in one arm, Beattie recovered from two opening fouls to soar 5.57m (w: -0.3) on her last attempt to move into the SILVER medal position behind winner Nikol Rodomakina (RUS, first, 5.63m).

Coached by Brett Jones, Beattie’s opening two fouls were followed by 5.34m, another foul, 5.38m and her winning mark to close out competition.

It is her first Paralympic medal, and will be added to a burgeoning trophy cabinet that also includes two medals, a bronze (100m) and silver (long jump) from last year’s IPC Athletics World Championships in Christchurch (NZL).

Beattie said: “My run up wasn’t great tonight, but you can never complain about winning a silver medal at the Paralympic Games. It’s been a big night for my coach too with one of my training partners winning a bronze which is great.

“I’ve still got the 100m to come so it’s off for some pretty serious recovery now. I just want to make sure that I am ready to go when that comes around on Tuesday.”

Beattie’s training partner and Commonwealth champion Patmore, who has nerve damage in his left arm, also added to the Australian medal tally by clocking 22.36 (w: +0.1) to win BRONZE and edge out world champion Antonis Aresti (CYP, fourth, 22.40) in the T46 200m.

Coming out of lane six, Patmore surged around the bend to come into the straight with a share of the lead. Continuing his push up the straight, the 25-year-old was challenged by Yohansson Nascimento (BRA, first, 22.05, WR) and Raciel Gonzales Isidoria (CUB, second, 22.15) before dipping on the line and falling.

Patmore, like Sally Pearson in the same stadium just weeks ago, then faced what seemed like a lifetime wait before his surname flashed on the big screen to award him a Paralympic medal on debut.

Patmore said: “I was very lucky to get that bronze, the race certainly didn’t go to plan but my dip and fall turns out to be very much worth it.

“The wait was forever, I saw the Cypriot coming up my inside and it scared me when I crossed so it was great to see my name come up. I’ve now got a world champs and an Olympic bronze medal, I couldn’t be happier and all the hard yards to get here have been worth it.”

Patmore’s teammates Colman and Ballard also won BRONZE in the T53 wheelchair 400m and the T53 wheelchair 100m respectively.

Replicating the performance he had in Beijing (CHN) four years ago, Colman clocked 50.24 to be edged out for silver by less than the front wheel by Brent Lakatos (CAN, second, 50.17).

Colman’s selection to this team ensured his third Paralympic appearance, with this medal adding a fifth to his burgeoning trophy cabinet. He has also won four medals at the IPC Athletics World Championships, silver at the Commonwealth Games and a gold in the exhibition T53 400m at the 2011 IAAF world championships in Daegu (KOR).

Ballard, competing at her fourth Paralympic Games, burst out of the blocks alongside her teammate Madison de Rozario (WA, 5th, 17.60) to cross third behind Chinese duo Lisha Huang (first, 16.42, SB) and Hongzhuan Zhou (second, 16.90, PB).

Ballard is coached by Louise Sauvage (NSW) at the New South Wales Institute of Sport, and her medal tonight adds a third to her trophy cabinet.

For more information on the 2012 London Paralympic Games, including results and detailed athlete profiles, please follow this link to the Australian Paralympic Committee website.

 

 Athletics Australia – News