Join AUS Squad
Back To News
A rivalry that began three years ago in Tokyo will continue in Paris on Saturday when Australia’s James Turner takes on China’s Deng Peicheng in the final of the 100m (T36) sprint.
Turner already has the 400m gold to his name but Deng didn’t compete in that event.
At Tokyo 2020 Turner beat him in the heats of the hundred but Deng took the gold in the final relegating the Australia to silver. The 28 year-old has been quietly plotting his revenge ever since. They were in separate heats tonight and eased across the line to conserve energy for the final – separated by just 0.04s.
“No need to go out too hard. I’ve come off a 400 so I need to save the legs as much as possible,” Tuner said after his 12.09s heat time. “I’m going back to the Village for an ice bath, something to eat and bed.”
Teammate Rhiannon Clarke did the reverse. She finished fourth in her 100m (T38) final last Saturday and then 2nd in her 400m tonight (1min:01.39s) to move into her second Paris final tomorrow – both in personal best times.
“I just went into the zone to see how fast I could go and get that spot in the final,” she said. “I didn’t think of a time – I was just running my own race.
“But actually, running the 100 in a PB I knew I had it in me for the 400 – I just had to go out and do it.”
There’s setting a personal best, and then there’s smashing it. Annabelle Colman did the latter in her first Paralympic 1500m (T20) final, for athletes with an intellectual disability, at her maiden Games.
She only left her teenage years five months ago but Colman had a goal in mind for Paris 2024 – to break the 4min:40sec barrier in the 3.3 lap race. On Friday she stayed with the leaders and finished fourth in 4:31.54, not only a PB but a new Australian record.
“That’s a pretty good time – first ever for me under 4:40. I had jam and toast for breakfast with a banana, maybe that’s the secret,” the 20 year-old said.
Or maybe it was the spiritual lift from 16,800km away by the ‘Inclusive Sport Training’ squad, whose members and Colman’s coaches Liz Gosper and Anthony de Castella gathered in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Kew to cheer her on.
“They (coaches) just told me to relax, not to worry too much about placings or stuff like that, and just finish the last 150 metres strongly,” Colman said. “I concentrated on running, staying with the pack, and wasn’t focused on medals. This (result) makes me want to go even faster, get even better.”
Rheed McCracken is hoping his speed stays with him in the 800m (T34) final on Saturday after a quick heat on Friday (1:41.51) put him into the top-eight, even though he didn’t automatically qualify by being one of the first-three across the line (4th).
“The start was good, the first 400 was good,” he said. “I knew that with two of the favourites in my heat the race would go fast. I was still a bit nervous because you’re putting your fate into other people’s hands.
“But our entire heat was faster than the second so fourth got me in. I will just re-group, strap myself in, and try to get in the mix again, and see where we end up. I know they’ll be going fast again.
“I really enjoy the 800, even though it’s two laps, because of the speed. By the time you settle you’re into the second lap and the race is almost over. No 800 these days is middle distance anymore – they’re all sprints.
“That time matches my season best I did earlier this year in Dubai. So I know we’ve done the work to be able to be in the mix. I’ve just got to try and feel more comfortable in that second 400 and know I’ve got the strength to do it instead of panicking a bit.”
Field events dominated on Friday’s competition. Guy Henly in discus (F37), Samantha Schmidt and Ella Hose in the women’s discus (F38) and Telaya Blacksmith in the long jump (F20).
It was a special moment to have Schmidt, a proud Gubbi Gubbi woman, and Blacksmith, a Warlpiri woman, compete on the same night. They are among the 16 known First Nations athletes to represent Australia at a Paralympic Games since the first, Kevin Coombs (five Paralympics from 1960 Rome).
Schmidt, who was 5th at the 2023 Paris World Championships and 6th at the Tokyo Paralympics finished 7th in Paris with a season best 33.05m. But she hurt her left shoulder in that throw and fouled the next two rounds.
Hose set a new personal best (28.46m) for 11th after another PB in last Saturday’s shot put final.
“I’m really happy with that second round PB. Discus is not my best event but I’ve been working really hard on trying to get good throws in the first three,” Hose said. “I wasn’t expecting to make the top eight but two PBs in two events makes me excited at what’s ahead.”
It was a game of numbers for Blacksmith. She eclipsed her PB by one centimetre (5.21m) with her second jump but then missed eighth spot for the final three leaps by the same margin.
A year ago Henly threw 52.45m at the 2023 Paris World Championships, which would have had him in bronze medal position in 2024. But he finished eighth (48.58m) in his third Paralympic final in a row – he’d finished fourth in both Rio and Tokyo.
“I know I’m there. It’s just the range of one or two metres than can put you in or out of the medals and that’s the frustrating part. This has given me more momentum, a bigger appetite.
“Any of the eight guys could have medalled today. My preparation was awesome with Dale (Stevenson) and Bree (Clement) my coaches both back in Melbourne and here in France down at Montpellier (staging camp).
“It was a case of having to throw very well on the day and today wasn’t that for me. It hasn’t put me off, although I’m disappointed. I’ll head back, do all the training and head into the domestic season to build to next year’s world championships. L.A. (2028) would be pretty cool.”
Australian results Day 8 Para-athletics
MEN
Discus F37 Final: Guy Henly, 8th (48.58m)
800m T34 Heats: Ht 1, Rheed McCracken, 4th (1min:41.51s). Qualified for final.
100m T36 Heats: Ht 1: James Turner, 3rd (12.09s). Qualified for final.
WOMEN
1500m T20 Final: Annabelle Colman, 4th (4m:31.54)
Discus F38 Final: Samantha Schmidt 7th (33.05m) ; Ella Hose 11th (28.36)
Long Jump T20 Final: Telaya Blacksmith, 9th (5.21m)
400m T38 Heats: Ht 2, 2nd Rhiannon Clarke (1m:01.39s). Qualified for final.
By: Margie McDonald, Paralympics Australia
Published: 7 September 2024
