27 July 2013  

On the penultimate day of the IPC World Athletics Championships, there were two bronze medals won by Sophie Kamlish (coach: Rob Ellchuk) in the T44 200m and Erin McBride (Stan Roberts), who made her GB & NI debut in the T13 400m.

Kamlish took nearly four hundredths of a second off her personal best to cross the line in 28.71, and the 16 year old, who finished fourth in the 100m was delighted to come away with a podium finish.

“The 200m is never my favourite event so it’s amazing to be able to medal in it. I haven’t had a brilliant season in the 200m – I haven’t even gone below 30 seconds.

“My plan was to start a lot more slowly than I usually do and conserve energy for the straight, which definitely worked this time. I don’t think my 100m performance necessarily gave me confidence but it did definitely spur me on a lot. I thought I could have been in with a chance for a medal so my overriding emotion is relief.”

Kamlish’s teammate Laura Sugar (Hayley Ginn) finished one place further back in fourth place, and the GB & NI debutant was ecstatic to record her second personal best of the championships clocking a time of 28.89.

“I’m very happy with the time I ran, it was about four tenths off my PB. I couldn’t have gone better and I gave it my all. My aim for the Championships was just to runs PBs and give it my best shot.

“I knew the 200m was my better event. I like the bend and from all the hockey training I’ve done and to get that fourth place, I’m really happy. That was only my fifth race over the distance, so each time you race it you learn something new and I’m confident that I can get a lot more off my time and keep improving.”

The youngest travelling member of the squad, McBride was the last GB & NI athlete to take to the track at the Stade de Parilly. After a long wait at the blocks, the 15 year old made an instant impact on the team, led by Paula Dunn.

McBride said: “It’s been a great experience – I’m so proud of myself and thankful to all the people who have supported me. My coach Stan, mum, dad, nan and granddad, friends have been with me all the way and just being on the GB & NI team is just an amazing achievement in itself.

“It’s been great to train with Libby Clegg and Richard Whitehead, but everyone on the team has been a big influence on me here in Lyon. My nerves were going crazy on the startline, but I did it in the end.”

Despite having an operation on a slipped disc after the Paralympic Games that disrupted her preparation for the competition, Sophia Warner (Stephen King) finished in fourth place in the T35 200m in a season’s best time of 35.73.

“The only difference between third and fourth is a medal, and to come out run a season’s best off the injury I’ve had and with the class getting stronger, I’m really delighted.

“I’m one of the biggest supporters of para-athletics out there, so watching new athletes come through is great. Paula (Dunn) has done a great job and I just want to see the team getting faster and all the time I can keep up, I’ll keep going – but they’re starting to outrun me now.”

After breaking two of his belts during competition, Rob Womack (Shaun Pickering) was left disappointed with his eighth place finish in the F54/55 shot put final. Womack whose best throw was 10.36m (903 points), the London 2012 bronze medallist believes that the result doesn’t reflect the form he is in at the moment.

“I think I must have killed a few black cats today – the bus didn’t turn up, so I had to drive my car and I’ve never had a breakage on my belt ever, so to get two is more than unlucky,” said Womack, part of the GB & NI team sponsored by Sainsbury’s. 

“I’ve been in really good shape – I’ve shed four kilos from London. On Tuesday, I was throwing 11.45m, which would have won today. In seven years, I’ve done three big championships and PB’d in the shot and had the luck on my side, but today I feel like I’ve let the team down because I should have got that gold. You can’t control the uncontrollables and that’s what happened to me today. I’m really shocked and disappointed and don’t want to finish like that.”  

Jade Jones (Ian Thompson, Tanni Grey-Thompson) competing in her fourth final of the championships finished in eighth place in the T54 400m with a time of 58.64. The 17 year old believes that the experience will stand her in a good position with a packed schedule over the next few years.

“This was my eighth race in eight days, I’ve had one each day. It has been a tough week, it’s been really tiring, especially with there being two 5,000s. But I’ve made so much progress since last year. I’ve made four finals here whereas in London I only made one so I’m in a good place moving forward.

“I’m just really happy that I’ve made the finals and it’s going to be good to progress from here onto the Commonwealth Games next year, then the Worlds and then Rio.”

Kieran Tscherniawsky (Jim Edwards) broke the European record in the F32/33/34 discus with a throw of 29.12m to finish in fifth place, while Jamie Carter fresh from three personal bests finished his campaign with an eighth place finish in the T34 400m.

“I wanted a 56 today, that’s the first thing I said to my coach but I just couldn’t do it out there. The wind is too strong and I got blown out of my lane. I felt so good yesterday and I got so close to breaking the 57 barrier, I just really wanted to do it today. I’ve got it in me to do it. But there’s hope for the future, this isn’t the fastest track and I nearly broke it yesterday,” said Carter.

Shelly Woods (Jenni Banks) will bring GB & NI’s campaign to a close tomorrow, as the Paralympic Games silver medallist lines up in the T54 marathon.

Medal tally:

Gold (11):

Aled Davies (F42 shot put & discus)

Richard Whitehead (T42 200m)

Jonnie Peacock (T44 100m)

Hannah Cockroft (T34 100m & 200m)

Paul Blake (T36 800m)

Josie Pearson (F51/52/53 discus)

Hollie Arnold (F46 javelin)

Sophie Hahn (T38 100m)

Scott Jones (F34 shot put)

Silver (10):

Dan Greaves (F44 discus)

Jonathan Broom-Edwards (F42/44 high jump)

Kyron Duke (F41 javelin)

Libby Clegg (T12 100m, 200m)

Bethany Woodward (T37 200m)

Sophie Hahn (T38 200m)

Libby Clegg (T12 100m)

Mickey Bushell (T53 100m)

Paul Blake (T36 400m)

Bronze (8):

Graeme Ballard (T36 100m)

Kyron Duke (F41 shot put)

Lee Whiteley (T38 200m)

Josie Pearson (F31/32/51 club throw)

Georgina Oliver (T54 100m)

Beverley Jones (F37 discus)

Sophie Kamlish (T44 200m)

Erin McBride (T13 400m)

GB & NI lie in fifth place in the medal standings behind Ukraine, Brazil, USA and Russia