The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games September 6-17, 2008
The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games September 6-17, 2008
(BEIJING, September 10) -- On the third day of Athletics at the National Stadium, medals were awarded in 17 events. Many nations celebrated double wins and new heroes were crowned as former champions relinquished their titles.
Women's 100m - T46
The first world record of the evening was set by Yunidis Castillo of Cuba. She took off to a flying start, leaving her competitors far behind, winning gold and beating her own world record (12.16 seconds) by clocking 12.04s. Coming in second was Russia's Elena Chlistilina with 12.65s and very close behind her for the bronze was Alicja Fiodorow of Poland with the time of 12.66s.
Men's 1500m - T46
Kenya's Abraham Cheruiyot Tarbei paced himself and took a steady route in the Men's 1500m - T46 to win the gold medal and land himself the world record title with 3:52.50. The silver went to Samir Nouioua of Algeria, finishing the race in 3:53.46, and close on his heels was Spain's Abderrahman Ait Khamouch with the time of 3:53.63.
Men's 100m - T12
Adekunle Adesoji of Nigeria may still be the Men's 100m - T12 world record holder (10.75s), but had to settle for 10.95s to come second behind Joshua Jamison of the United States who finished the race in 10.89s to win gold. China's Yang Yuqing took the bronze (10.96s) while teammate Li Qiang, who committed a false start, came in fourth.
Men's 400m - T13
The Cuban anthem was heard once again as two of the country's athletes took their place on the first and second steps of the medal podium. Luis Manuel Galano won the gold in the Men's 400m - T13 with the Paralympics record time of 49.12 seconds, while teammate Freddy Durruthy took the silver in 49.52s. The third spot (49.99s) went to Ioannis Protos of Greece.
Men's 800m - T12
Spain's Abel Avila seemed to have everything in control, taking the lead from the start and holding it until halfway into the second lap when Lazaro Raschid Aguilar of Cuba overtook and sped off. It looked like Aguilar had sealed the deal when suddenly 10 meters from the finish line, Tunisia's Abderrahim Zhiou stole up from behind and won in a world record-breaking 1:52.13. Aguilar settled for silver with 1:52.40, and Odair Santos of Brazil took the bronze by finishing 1:53.73. Avila finished fourth with 1:55.17.
Men's 400m - T38
It was double joy for Tunisia when Farhat Chida and Abbes Saidi finished first (51.14 seconds) and second (51.97s) to take gold and silver, respectively. Chida now has two gold medals to his name, having won one on Tuesday evening in the Men's Long Jump F37/38 (F38 world record 6.44m). Third place and the bronze medal went to Andriy Onufriyenko of Ukraine when he finished in 52.45s.
However, it was an unfortunate evening for Athens 2004 gold medalist and world record holder (50.30s) Tim Sullivan of Australia. He fell during the race. Determined not to give up, he declined help from officials and volunteers and made it to the finish line.
Men's 400m - T36
Roman Pavlyk of Ukraine beat Russia's Artem Arefyev's world record of 55.28 to clock his own record time of 54.13 seconds to win gold. This is Pavlyk's second gold in Athletics, in addition to the one he won on Tuesday in the Men's 100m T36. Arefyev earned the silver medal with a run of 55.59s, while China's Che Mian took home the bronze medal in 55.70s.
Men's 800m - T37
Though competing for the first time in Paralympics, Ireland's 18-year-old Michael McKillop won himself a gold medal and created a world record in the Men's 800m - T37. McKillop first achieved a world record in 2006 in the Netherlands (2:02.13), then bettered it on Wednesday evening by winning his race in 1:59.39. Brad Scott of Australia and Djamel Mastouri of France trailed behind him to come in second (2:02.71) and third (2:03.04) to take silver and bronze, respectively.
Men's 200m - T52
Dean Bergeron of Canada led from the start and won the gold medal with 30.81 seconds, short of his own world record but a new Paralympics record nevertheless. The silver went to Beat Bosch of Switzerland and bronze to Thailand's Peth Rungsri.
Women's 400m - T53
United States of America took gold and bronze through Jessica Galli and Anjali Forber Pratt while China's Zhou Hongzhuan won the silver in 55.28 seconds. Galli clocked 54.88s to break her own world record (55.42s).
Women's 100m - T54
Canada's Golden Girl Chantal Petitclerc has begun her winning mission. She failed to better her own Paralympics (16.07 seconds) and world (15.91s) records but sped to the finish line in 16.15s for the gold medal. Following close behind were China's Liu Wenjun and Dong Hongjiao who took the silver and bronze medals with times of 16.20s and 16.24s, respectively.
Men's 400m - T54
The last track final saw David Weir of Great Britain take second place with 46.02 seconds, but it wasn't enough to hold on to his world record title as China's Zhang Lixin blazed the tracks in 45.07s to win gold and take the world record. Saichon Konjen won Thailand's second Bronze medal for the day by finishing his race in 46.86s
There were new world records in all the field events, with some having more than one due to the multi-classification competition format.
Women's Discus F32-34/51-53
Two world records were broken in the Women's Discus F32-34/51-53. In multi classification events such as these, results are decided based on a point system. Tetyana Yakybchuk of Ukraine takes home the gold and the title of F33 world record holder with her throw of 17.05m which earned her 1129 points. The F34 world record title went to Frances Herrmann of Germany whose throw measured at 21.19m but only got her 1108 points. Tunisia's Yousra Ben Jemaa threw to a distance of 21.00m which gave her 1098 points and the bronze medal.
Men's Long Jump - F46
Another world record was created in the field event, this time by France's Arnaud Assoumani. He earned 1038 points with his leap of 7.23 meters to win the gold medal. David Roos of South Africa came in second with his best jump of 6.64m (953 points) made in his sixth and last attempt while China's Li Kangyong took the Bronze when his first attempt jump of 6.61m was recorded as his best, giving him 949 points.
Men's Javelin - F11/12
There was probably no better way for Zhu Pengkai of China to begin his competition than to break the F12 world record on his first attempt. His third attempt of 63.07 meters (1114 points) secured him the gold medal and the new world record title. Former world record holder Miroslaw Pych of Poland had to settle for bronze with 56.01m (989 points), while Croatia's Branimir Budetic took the silver with his best throw of 57.11m (1009 points).
Men's Shot Put - F42
Darko Kralj of Croatia was the only athlete out on the field to surpass 14m with each attempt in the Men's Shot Put - F42. He bettered his own world record (14.04m) on the fifth attempt with a throw of 14.43m and won himself the gold medal. Maxim Narozhnyy of Russia steadily worked towards the silver medal with his best throw of 13.92m. South Africa's Fanie Lombard's 13.87m throw secured him the bronze medal.
Women's Javelin - F35-38
Wu Qing's throw of 28.84 meters (1662 points) earned her the F36 world record title and the gold medal. Shirlene Coelho of Brazil had a throw of 35.95m, a new F37 world record, but it only gave her 1513 points based on the multi-classification event point system. She captured a silver medal. A third world record, this time in the F35 class by Renata Chilewska of Poland for her throw of 25.59m (1161 points), secured her the bronze medal .
