DEFIANT PEACOCK STORMS TO GOLD
SPRINT king Jonnie Peacock claimed gold for Great Britain at the World Paraathletics Championships — after he had been left praying for divine intervention when suffering a nasty bout of cramp moments before his 100m final.
as Peacock stepped out at the london Stadium just before the T44 final, he feared his chances might already be over.
He said: ‘I was feeling cramp everywhere, in my biceps, in my calf. My hamstring on my blade side is particularly bad. I did one stride out in the tunnel and three steps. It locked up and wouldn’t let go. I literally just dropped to the floor and stretched.
‘I didn’t want to push too hard out of the blocks in case I aggravated it. I looked up to the sky and said, “Just get me to the finish line in one piece”. I had a genuine fear that something was going to go. I came here for the world title and I am just so thankful I finished the race in one piece.’
Peacock had recorded a personal best of 10.64sec in the semi-final. But his problems before the final itself saw the Brit record a time of 10.75sec. It was still enough to blitz his rivals as he finished ahead of the German Johannes Floors, who clocked 10.89sec.
So Peacock, a Paralympic gold medallist in 2012 and 2016, had reclaimed his world champion status in courageous fashion after missing the 2015 worlds in Doha through injury. The 24-year-old had claimed gold in the 2013 World Championship in lyon.
Britain’s aled Davies also took gold in the F42 discus as he completed the first half of what he hopes will be a third consecutive worldtitle double.
Davies now has his eyes set on the shot put next Saturday but also harbours long-term ambitions to compete in the able-bodied Commonwealth Games.
He said: ‘you’ve got to have something to aim for. I can be on the able-bodied circuit because I want to be chasing other people.’