Contributed by Emma Booth.Regional Director, USA Sport Group.
Back to Paralympic Round Up: Day 7
The Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony yesterday marked the end of a successful, triumphant and emotional two weeks in London for the 4,200 athletes who participated in 2012. Here are the highlights from the second half of the Paralympic Games.
Daniel Dias (BRA)
Daniel Dias competed in 8 swimming events this summer, and took gold in 6 of them. The 24 year old Brazilian freestyle specialist, only learnt to swim in 2004 and already has a total of 15 Paralympic medals to his name… He is the S5 Michael Phelps!
Oscar Pistorious (RSA)
The original ‘Blade Runner’, South African Oscar Pistorious took gold in the T42/46 4x100m relay, and silver in the 200m T44 final. But it was the last race of the Games in which he blew away the opposition; winning the T44 400m in 46.68 seconds – over 3 seconds faster than the USA’s Blake Leeper in silver.
Tatyana McFadden was a force to be reckoned with at these Games, winning three gold and one bronze medals, an improvement on her haul of 3 silvers and a bronze in the Beijing Games four years ago. McFadden stormed to victory is the T54 400m, 800m and 1500m races.
Sarah Storey (GBR)
Sarah Storey competed in four cycling events; two on the road, and two on the track – winning gold in all of them. Storey actually began her Paralympic career as a swimmer on 1992, winning numerous medals, but switched to cycling, and currently holds 11 Paralympics titles thanks to her success in London.
Australia
The documentary film ‘Murderball’ surrounded the US & Canadian wheelchair rugby teams’ rivalry in the build up to the 2004 Paralympic Games. However it was Australia who took the gold in 2012, with Ryley Batt the hero for the Aussies. If you have never seen wheelchair rugby, I highly suggest you watch this video. It’s awesome.
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