04 September 2021

Paralympics day 11: Hannah Cockroft continues golden run in Tokyo

04 September 2021

A badly-cut hand was not enough to prevent Hannah Cockroft cruising to her second Tokyo 2020 gold but there was no third success for Kadeena Cox on Saturday.

Cockroft, 29, battled wet weather and the pain of a nasty injury from an earlier accident as she defended her T34 800 metres crown in a time of 1:48.99.

She finished more than 10 seconds ahead of second-placed team-mate Kare Adenegan while American Alexa Halko pipped a third Briton, Fabienne Andre, to bronze.

“To come here with a gammy hand, I’m happy,” said Cockroft, sporting strapping on her hand, after claiming the seventh Paralympic gold of her career.

“I put my hand through the wheel, while the chair was moving – I’ve never done it before.

“Wheelchairs and rain don’t mix so I slipped off the rim and there’s not really much space to slip into so it went straight in.

“My hand went straight round but luckily a coach was stood with me. It’s pretty bloody but it’s fine.”

Even if my hand’s fallen off I was going to be on that start line.

Asked if she considered pulling out, she replied: “No. Never. The doctors and everyone looked like they were going to lean that way but I was ‘no way.’

“Even if my hand’s fallen off I was going to be on that start line. My hand’s a bit sore so I’m struggling to grip a little bit so they just tied my hand a bit tighter.”

Cockroft’s victory moves her within four golds of matching Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson as Britain’s most successful athletics Paralympian.

Cox, meanwhile, had been hoping to defend her T38 400m title and add to the two cycling gold medals she won earlier in the Games.

It was not to be on this occasion, however, as she was forced to settle for fourth in heavy rain behind Germany’s Lindy Ave – who won in a world-record time of exactly one minute – Margarita Goncharova and Darian Faisury Jimenez Sanchez.

In the field, there was glory for Aled Sion Davies, who won the F63 shot put with a throw of 15.33 metres.

There was also British success at the Sea Forest Waterway as Charlotte Henshaw edged out Emma Wiggs for gold in the KL2 kayak.

The 34-year-old former swimmer beat her compatriot by just 0.649secs – adding to her incredible run since switching from the pool in early 2017.

The victory adds a Paralympic gold to the SB6 breaststroke silver and bronze which she claimed in London and Rio respectively.

Henshaw said: “I didn’t switch sports to win a gold medal but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to complete the set.”

Ex-sprinter Laura Sugar also claimed gold on Saturday, winning the women’s KL3 competition, while there was VL3 bronze for Stuart Wood in the men’s events.

There was a silver medal in the wheelchair tennis for Lucy Shuker and Jordanne Whiley after they were beaten 6-0 6-1 by Holland’s Diede De Groot and Aniek Van Koot in the women’s doubles final.

A day after losing the men’s doubles final, Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewitt were on opposite sides of the net in the singles bronze medal match. Reid beat his friend 6-4 3-6 7-5.

Dan Bethall took silver in the para-badminton after losing to India’s Pramod Bhagat in the SL3 final.

Picture of the day

Great Britain’s Charlotte Henshaw shows plenty of emotion after winning the Women’s Kayak Single 200m KL2 final at the Sea Forest Waterway (Tim Goode/PA) (PA Wire)

Social media moment

The colour of the medal did not matter for Brazilian Ricardo Gomes de Mendonca, who had a golden celebration for his bronze victory in the men’s T37 200m.

Figure of the day

What’s coming up on Sunday?

The Games conclude with the closing ceremony, prior to which the marathons round off the athletics action, which includes wheelchair racer David Weir in the men’s event.

And Great Britain’s men’s wheelchair basketball team will take on Spain in the bronze medal match.

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