29th August 2021

SECOND BRONZE OF THE GAMES FOR MARIA LYLE

Maria Lyle picked up her second bronze medal of the Paralympics while there was a first glimpse of Jonnie Peacock in a busy night of action at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium.

Lyle (coach: Jamie Bowie, club: East Lothian) had previously finished third in the T35 100m behind China’s Zhou Xia and Australia’s Isis Holt on day one, and today’s 200m final provided an exact repeat of that podium.

The 21-year-old Lyle finished in third in 30.24s (+0.4m/s), with Xia setting a world record of 27.17s to win two gold medals for the second straight Paralympics.

“I’m really happy, I was so nervous before that race,” said Lyle.

“I was quite unhappy in Rio with my mental health and in all aspects of my life. It took time to recognise that and get it sorted.

“I’m in Tokyo and I’m loving and enjoying the experience. There’s more to life than running and I’m trying to enjoy it, at times that’s the most important thing.”

In his quest for a third straight Paralympic gold, Peacock (Dan Pfaff, Charnwood) safely progressed to the final of the T64 100m.

Peacock ran a season’s best time of 10.87s (+0.3) to finish second in his heat behind Felix Streng of Germany, who ran a Paralympic record of 10.72s.

Streng’s compatriot Johannes Floors’ time of 10.79s in the opening heat means Peacock is the third fastest qualifier for tomorrow’s final.

Peacock said: “My plan was to run no further than 60 metres today but I ended up going to 70 metres as I got in a race. But I switched off after that, today wasn’t about racing, it was about qualifying.

“I definitely felt like I could surge up but I put the brakes on. The final will be all about the finish and it will all come down to that last 40 metres tomorrow.”

Elsewhere it was a fourth-place finish for Sammi Kinghorn (Rodger Harkins, Red Star) as she made her Tokyo debut in the T53 800m.

With a potential three more events to come, Kinghorn finished in 1:47.94 with Australian Madison de Rozario taking gold in a new Paralympic record of 1:45.99.

Kinghorn said: “The 800 hasn’t been my aim, it’s been the 100m and the 400m, so I just wanted to give it a shot and know that I gave it my all and that was fine.

“I’m fourth in the world, two better than Rio and three better than the Worlds. I’m getting faster and faster and getting more confident.”

Mel Woods (Rodger Harkins, Red Star) finished in fifth place in the T54 800m with a personal best of 1:50.40, with Swiss star Manuela Schar setting a new Paralympic record of 1:42.81 to edge out American Tatyana McFadden.

In the field Sabrina Fortune (Ian Robinson, Deeside) threw 13.56m in the final round of the shot put F20 to seal a fifth-place finish, with Poleth Mendes Sanchez of Colombia setting a new world record of 14.39m to take gold.

Nathan Maguire (Ste Hoskins, Kirkby) finished sixth in the men’s T54 400m final in a time of 47.17s, with Richard Chiassaro (Jenni Banks, Harlow) seventh in 47.37s.

American Daniel Romanchuk took gold, edging out Athiwat Paeng-Nuea of Thailand by just 0.01s to prevail in 45.72s.

“We had two Brits in the final and that’s awesome, it shows that wheelchair racing in Britain is really pushing on,” said Maguire.

Chiassaro added: “I’ve had quite a few injuries over the past 18 months. I’m a bit disappointed not to medal but the guys out there are doing 45s now. Just making the final is a big thing for me at the moment.”

Zak Skinner (Aston Moore, Loughborough Students) will now focus on the long jump after finishing in eighth in the T13 100m in 11.08s (+0.0), with Ireland’s Jason Smyth taking a fourth straight gold in this event in 10.53s.

“I don’t think I had any more in me. I always come out to give everything and sadly that wasn’t enough,” he said

“Long jump is my event, it’s the one where I own that runway and I’m excited to share it with the boys again. I’ll come away hopefully with a gold, I’d love a medal out of it.”

The British medallists (6):

Gold (3):

Hannah Cockroft – Women’s T34 100m

Sophie Hahn – Women’s T38 100m

Thomas Young – Men’s T38 100m

Silver (1): 

Kare Adenegan – Women’s T34 100m

Bronze (2)

Maria Lyle – Women’s T35 100m and 200m