LONDON 2012 – Paralympics – Pistorius storms to 400m gold

Oscar Pistorius finally won his first individual gold medal of London 2012 in the very last race at the Olympic Stadium.

The South African was a hugely convincing winner of the 400m – T44 in a new Paralympic record 46.68, more than three seconds ahead of the field.

After a shock 200m loss and an expected 100m one, the 400m was the one title the 25-year-old wanted to keep hold of more than any other.

Pistorius came into the race with a personal best more than five seconds quicker than the next fastest in the race, none of whom had broken the 50-second barrier. Pistorius can get close to 45 at his best.

Alan Fonteles Oliveira, the 200m – T44 champion, was in the lane outside him and for the first half of the race looked like he might pose a challenge.

But Pistorius came into the home straight with a clear lead and, as the Brazilian tired badly, USA athlete Blake Leeper came into second and compatriot David Prince third. Oliveira was fourth.

Pistorius said: 'For one of the first times I thought I could actually hear something coming into the home straight.

'Usually I'm so focused and so in my zone, but I could hear the crowd and it was just the most amazing feeling that I could have possibly had.

'This has been the most phenomenonally successful Olympic and Paralympic Games and I think the world is finally seeing that Paralympic sport is truly elite.'

Tatyana McFadden saw her bid for a possible five Paralympic gold medals end with a third-placed finish in the 100m -T54. Chinese racers Liu Wenjun and Dong Hongjiao took gold and silver.

Fanie van der Merwe took the 100m – T37 title thanks to a spectacular dive for the line.

Van der Merwe and China's Liang Yongbin were both given 11.51, a world record, but the South African was awarded the gold in a photo finish.

Cuba's Yunidis Castillo ran a world record 55.72 to claim her third gold of the Games with victory in the 400m – T46.

Poland's Mateusz Michalski also set a new world record, clocking 21.56 to clinch the 200m – T12 crown, while his compatriot Maciej Lepiato quickly followed suit, taking the High Jump – F46 mark to new heights with a leap of 2.12m to take the gold.

Wheelchair racer Raymond Martin won gold number four by taking the 200m – T52 title.

Austria's Gunther Matzinger made it a 400m-800m double with victory in the 800m – T46 in a world record 1:51.82, while Russia's Elena Ivanova won the 100m – T36 and China's Xue Lei the 100m – T11.

China's 4 x 400m Relay – T53/54 quartet claimed a convincing gold, while Zhou Hongzhuan was crowned 400m – T53 champion and Algeria's Mohammad Khalvandi took the Javelin – F57/58 gold.

Tunisian pair Walid Ktila and Raoua Tlili took the 100m – T34  crown and Shot Put – F40 title respectively.

Algeria's Abdellatif Baka timed his finish to perfection to snatch gold in the 800m – T13.

Australia's Evan O'Hanlon won his second gold of the Games as he added the 200m – T38 title to his 100m crown.

Mexico's Angeles Ortiz Hernandez won the Shot Put – F57/58 gold and compatriot Luis Alberto Zepeda Felix the Javelin – F54/55/56 title.

Tunisia's Neda Bahi won the 400m – T37, Brazil's Shirlene Coelho the Javelin – F37/38 and Azerbaijan's Oleg Panyutin the Triple Jump – F12.

 

LONDON 2012 

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Athletes

• OscarPISTORIUSRSA
• Alan Fonteles CardosoOLIVEIRABRA
• BlakeLEEPERUSA
• DavidPRINCEUSA
• TatyanaMCFADDENUSA
• WenjunLIUCHN
• HongjiaoDONGCHN
• FanieVAN DER MERWERSA
• YongbinLIANGCHN
• YunidisCASTILLOCUB
• MateuszMICHALSKIPOL
• MaciejLEPIATOPOL