Golden girl Sammi has come of age
SAMMI KINGHORN proved she belonged on the global stage after wrapping up Great Britain’s World Para Athletics Championships.
The 21-year-old finished fifth in the T53 800m but had claimed two golds and one bronze overall.
She won the T53 100m on the final morning to add to her 200m title earlier in the week, while claiming bronze in the 400m.
Britain finished third in the medal table with 39 – comfortably beating their target of between 26 to 30 – and Kinghorn, who won her first world golds, said: “Going out to Rio and being so young and nervous and naive and scared, I’ve learnt I’m good enough to be here. I need to remember that.
“I used to go out and think, ‘These girls, I’ve watched them on the telly, they’re absolutely amazing’. Now I know I can beat them.
“Hopefully one day I can be unbeatable. It’s tough in para sport – someone can come in after an accident and rise pretty quickly. That’s the excitement in para sport. But you want people chasing you. I feel like I’m never going to sleep again. This week has been incredible. I’d love to be as good as Tatyana McFadden [America’s seven-time champion] and compete at every distance and smash them all. I’d love to be the first T53 to go under 16 seconds, so that’s my aim between now and Tokyo.
“I hoped I’d win one medal, but to win three has been incredible. My class is so competitive and it’s going to take a month to sink in.”
Mickey Bushell won silver in the T53 100m, falling just short of repeating his success at London 2012, in 14.85secs.
“I’ve gone from sixth in Rio to second here. What a city to do it in as well, in front of a home crowd,” he said.
“I’ve just trained, kept my head down. I’ve had no health issues this year and this is what happens when I’m not ill. I’m back up there.”
Long jumper Polly Maton won T47 silver with her final effort to leap from fourth to second with a lifetime best of 5.23m. The 17-year-old arm amputee had finished fifth in the 100m and said: “To hear a crowd roar for you, and to come and perform, is a dream come true. I can’t put into
words how much it means.” Jordan Howe struck silver in the T35 100m in 12.52 and said: “It was a PB, so it’s great. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. But it was my time to show off and I did.”