British para athletes waltz off with 10 medals on day two of the World Para Athletics Championships.
The British Athletics para team carried on from where Hannah Cockroft left off yesterday, including gold medal winning performances from Richard Whitehead, Sophie Hahn, Hollie Arnold and Sammi Kinghorn, with the latter pair setting World Records along the way.
Also among the medals on a memorable night were Toby Gold, Andy Small, David Henson and Kadeena Cox.
Arnold, entering the Championships as a two-time F46 Javelin world champion and the world record holder in the class, threw a magnificent series to become a triple world champion, launching a massive 43.02m in round four to add 1cm to her own F46 world record.
Sammi Kinghorn pushed hard in the T53 200m to win her first global medal in wheelchair racing, having led from the front since the pistol blew, securing a World Record of 28.61 seconds. An emotional, Kinghorn said: “I had the two fastest girls outside of me and I thought if I can catch them before the bend then I have a chance of getting a medal. Gold – I still can’t say it, and I can’t believe it. I am so thankful to that crowd, they were incredible. I was so scared of flat-lining but as soon as they called my name I chilled out a bit and had a little bit of a wave; that helped. “
The T42 200m race again saw Richard Whitehead and David Henson squaring up on the track. Whitehead had a slowish start before eventually reaching top speed. Moving away from South African teenager, Ntando Mhlangu, Whitehead put daylight between him and the field to come home in 23.26, a Championship Record time for his fourth world title. At 41 Whitehead has recently suggested that he is edging towards retirement – but surely not on this form.
“You put in perspective when you ask me about the crowd. Expectation on me is pretty high. I got to the starting line today and there were some problems but I got on with it and delivered the performance that I needed to do. I said to myself the same as in 2012. I said ‘don’t mess this up’. If you are British athlete and you are able to do it in your home stadium it’s something special”, he said.
David Henson finished well to claim bronze.
In the 200m, Sophie Hahn made sure it counted on the night as she hit the line to clock 26.11, a revision of her own world record, with Kadeen Cox picking up bronze in the same race.
The T33 100m, included three Britons: Toby Gold, Andrew Small and Dan Bramall and it was Paralympic silver medallist, Gold, who claimed second place, edging out bronze medal winner, Small.
“It was amazing to come away from Rio and have the next World Championships in your home country: you don’t get better than that. I felt well-prepared on the start line and I knew if I focused on my race the result would come. I’m really, really happy but that crowd was amazing” said Gold.
British Athletics medallists at the World Para Athletics Championships London 2017 on Day Two:
Gold:
Hollie Arnold – F46 Javelin
Sophie Hahn – T38 200m
Sammi Kinghorn – T53 200m
Stef Reid – T44 Long Jump
Richard Whitehead – T42 200m
Silver:
Toby Gold – T33 100m
Bronze:
Kadeena Cox – T38 200m
David Henson – T42 200m
Gemma Prescott – F32 Club Throw
Andrew Small – T33 100m
