Para-Athletics Day 7: Former German Star Now Representing Australia

Long jumper Vanessa Low will begin the defence of her Rio gold medal in Tokyo on Thursday and it will be in different national colours.

But the 31-year-old is hoping the colour of the medal remains the same.

The triple Paralympian won her sprint and long jump medals for her double-leg amputee class as a member of the German athletics team in Rio 2016 and London 2012.

She married Australian single-leg amputee Scott Reardon in 2018 and first competed for Australia internationally at the 2019 Dubai World Para-Athletics Championships leaping 4.68m for gold. That was 0.25cm less than the distance for her 2016 Paralympic gold.

The T61 class women’s long jump final is the first event on Thursday’s evening session at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium.

Australia is also represented in the Shot Put (F33) by Maria Strong at her maiden Paralympics.

She finished 5th in Dubai with a 6.37 throw but her season best this year is 6.52.

On the track, the 100m wheelchair racers from last night’s finals are back for the 400m heats. Angie Ballard (pictured) is in the T53 class and Eliza Ault-Connell in the T54.

Both women are looking forward to the longer distance, using the sprint as an appetiser of sorts.

“The 400 is more my sweet spot so hopefully that shows… we’ll see,” said Ballard, who is at her sixth Paralympic Games and has netted her eight medals from 20 finals.

“Now I’m more inclined towards the sprints at the moment and I had wanted that (100m, 7th) to go a bit better but it’s still good prep for the 400.”

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Athletics – Day 7 (all times AEST)
400m (T53) Heats: Angie Ballard Ht 1 – 1.10pm (Final at 8.41pm)
400m (T54) Heats: Eliza Ault-Connell Ht 1 – 1.42pm (Final at 8.52pm)
Shot Put (F33) Final: Maria Strong – 8.48pm
Long Jump (T61) Final: Vanessa Low – 8.00pm

By: Margie McDonald, Paralympics Australia
Posted: 2 September 2021