Gold Rush for Team GB

Team GB has plenty to smile about going into day five of the Paralympics following a weekend of successes for British athletes who won a combined total of 12 gold medals.

Swimmer Ellie Simmonds and wheelchair racing star David Weir were among the gold winning stars.  Ellie stormed to victory in the 400 meters freestyle final beating USA rival Victoria Arlen in a thrilling race and smashing the world record by five seconds.

Following her victory, the 17-year-old, who won two golds at the Beijing Paralympics, said defending her title was ‘one of the best’ moments of her life, adding: “It’s my home Games and in front of my home crowd and all my friends.  I just went out there and gave it my all.  It’s definitely one of my best.”

There were also golds in the Velodrome for husband and wife pair, Barney and Sarah Storey and Neil Fachie, while Natasha Baker won gold in the individual Equestrian event.  A new star emerged on the athletics track as Richard Whitehead powered to victory in the 200 meters.

Whitehead, from Nottingham, who was born with legs that finish above the knee, dedicated his win to his friend, Simon Mellows, who died of cancer in 2005.  Richard commented: “He was the person that was bringing me round that bend and through the straight today.  To see the kind of fight that he went through with a young family basically set a seed in my head about what sport’s all about.  His widow is here today with her two kids.  They know how important a contribution he has made to me.”

Golden Sunday

On Sunday the medal haul continued with British pair Anthony Kappes and Craig MacLean taking gold for the team sprint in the Velodrome.  Elsewhere Great Britain’s Equestrian team won the team title and individual dressage.

In the swimming sixteen year old Jessica-Jane Applegate set a new world record in the S14 200 meters freestyle final as she won Britain’s third gold medal in the pool.

Aled Davies increased his medal haul with a gold in the discus, adding to the bronze he won for shot put last week.  Great Britain won their first rowing medal as David Smith, James Roe, Naomi Riches, Pam Relph and cox, Lily van den Broecke won the mixed coxed four.

Wheelchair racing ace Weir, who won two golds in Beijing, topped off the Sunday gold rush as he produced a powerful late burst to take gold in the T54 5,000 meters.  The 33-year-old commented: “You dream about winning on home turf.  I’m a London lad and it’s a dream come true.”

The weekend of action saw team GB jump up to second in the medals table with an impressive total of 54 medals.  Team GB is in a buoyant mood as the athletes look forward to the final week of action.