GORD’S IN AWE
Jess brilliant... a full house as archers hit the bullseyes
GOLDEN archer Jessica Stretton spearheaded Britain’s first clean-sweep of these Games.
At the age of just 16 she held her nerve to lead a British 1-2-3 in the women’s individual compoundnd archery event at the Sambodromo.
Stretton beat teammate Jo Frith 137-124 in the final with Vicky Jenkins claiming bronze with a 125-124 defeat of Kim from South Korea.
“I had to try to tell myself to keep calm because I did feel eel under pressure and sometimes I can freak out because of that,” said Stretton. “I had to trick myself into thinking it was just another shooting session which was quite difficult, but I managed it.”
Jenkins’ bronze was all the more notable as she has been in hospital since Monday after her blood glucose levels plummeted while she slept, and she had woken up unable to move. Maria Lyle, 16, capped a superb debut Games by winning her third medal with bronze in the T35 200m – to add to 100 100m bronze and 4x100m silver. But for sheer drama there w was nothing to match the wheelchair basketball where Terry Bywater rescued a bronze medal for Britain in a d dramatic 82-76 overtime v victory (inset) over Turkey. B Bywater’s last-gasp basket tied th the match at 65-65 and although Turkey pulled six point clear in overtime Bywater came up with the three-pointer with a minute left which proved decisive. “To pick ourselves up after that Spain defeat in the semi-final shows what we’re all about,” said Bywater, who ended with 25 points. “The future is amazing for British wheelchair basketball. I can’t wait to see my family with that medal round my neck.” GORDON REID was inspired to become Paralympic champion by watching Andy Murray retain his Olympic title on the same court.
Reid (right) emulated his fellow Scot by adding Rio gold to his Wimbledon wheelchair crown with a 6-2, 6-1 win over GB team-mate Alfie Hewett.
“Andy’s been a huge inspiration to me,” said Reid, who also credited a team pep talk by British Chef de Mission Penny Briscoe.
“I watched all of his final even though it was the early hours of the morning back home. To go out there and win gold on the same court he did is incredible.”