05 September 2012

David Devine (Brian Scobie) won his second medal of the Games in an exciting T12 800m as he just managed to catch the Cuban Lazaro Rashid in his final stride to snatch bronze by 0.04 of a second in 1:58.72. He got dropped when the pace picked up 300m out but fought back tenaciously in the last 100m. The early pace was very slow 62.37 at 400m but the winner Zhiou of Tunisia covered his last 400m in 54.07 and his last 200m was 26.07, whichwas faster than David Rudisha managed in his world record in the Olympics.

Devine said, "I had to go up to an official to find out where I’d come. When he told me, I was made up. After racing four times in four days and my 1500m PB last night, my legs felt so heavy. I couldn’t get going at all and I felt dead coming around the final bend. But I just thought I have only 100m to go in these Champs and I went for it and got him on the line. I don’t think I’d have achieved third without the crowd on the home straight. I would have gone faster if I’d just had another day to prepare for this. I don’t do enough speed work to expect to be so successful in the 800m, so I was delighted to get a medal."

In the T37 200m, teenager Bethany Woodward (Jonas Dodoo), also won her second medal, following her relay success yesterday. She couldn’t quite match her time from the morning and didn’t have quite such a good bend and was some way from a medal position but she used her 400m endurance down the straight and she moved into a silver medal position with a superb finish. She timed 29.65/0.4 which left her a few metres down on the winner Johanna Benson of Namibia.

She said, “I was full of lactic and had to dip and had to see it on the board – your body is doing one thing and your mind is telling you to do another. It was incredible, completely surreal. I felt I did everything I could to get it right. But three races in 24 hours is tough and my legs were sore and I’ve been running on adrenaline. I’m sure I’ll wake up and feel it a lot tomorrow. I was set on getting a medal and wouldn’t leave without one.

"It is such an honour to pull on a Paralympic vest. Whatever you do in that stadium, if you put that British vest on then the crowd and the country is absolutely behind you, no matter what. It will remain in my mind forever, especially knowing that my family and friends were here. They were in tears, I was in tears, everyone was a mess.It’s been so hard being in the village and not being allowed to have it so I’m going to go back and have a McDonalds. A Big Mac, McNuggets, fries and a coke. I’ll definitely be going to Rio. "

Jenny McLoughlin (Darrell Maynard) was always close to a medal position after having ran a very strong bend and just missed out in the final strides. She timed 30.08/0.4 for fifth place.

“I just wish I’d done that PB I did in the heats in the final. It was a hard lane, but that’s just how it is. I think if I’d been around other people I would have had a better chance, if I’d been in the mix. I thought I ran the bend well but my legs tightened up. I did feel tired today (after the relay last night) and I am glad to come away with a medal, but I would have loved an individual medal, it just wasn’t meant to be.”

In the T46 100m final, 17 year-old Sally Brown (Philip Tweedie) did well in her first Paralympics to make the final and she finished sixth in 13.74. She said, “I felt a lot lighter on my feet than in the 200m when I wasn’t well, and it was a lot more enjoyable.

“The crowd was mad, the atmosphere in the heats was amazing but the final was a different level. I’ll never forget the experience, the atmosphere in the team, the village, the crowd. It’s such an inspiration watching these girls too, my category is so strong.”

T44 100m world record holder Jonnie Peacock (Dan Pfaff) made a superb paralympic debut winning his heat easily in 11.08 to equal the Paralympic record despite a strong 1.6mps headwind. His time was the fastest of the night with Oscar Pistorius the next fastest on 11.18.

He said, “It was nuts out there when they called my name and my mates and family were by the start line and it relaxed me. I haven’t been nervous at all.I’ll have to go back now and look at the video; the end of the race wasn’t as controlled as I’d like it to be – I need to keep my core stronger – and my start could have been better, but that race into that kind of wind could have been worth 10.90/10.95, which would have been my fastest ever first round, and I’ll come back stronger tomorrow.I expected a few of the guys to push me more to be honest; I didn’t think I’d win by so much, so I’m happy.”

In the T35 men’s 200m heats, former American footballer Sam Ruddock (Joseph McDonnell) finished fourth in his heat in a PB 28.75 but missed out on a place in the final.