The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Wins see Bayley get another shot at gold
Table tennis star Will Bayley reached his second final of the Tokyo Games by progressing to the gold medal match of the men’s class 6-7 team event alongside Paul Karabardak.
The British pair were forced to come from behind last night after losing 3-2 in their doubles match with Spaniards Jordi Morales and Alvaro Valera.
Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Bayley, who had to settle for silver in the class seven singles on Sunday, subsequently thrashed world champion Morales 3-0, while class six singles bronze medallist Karabardak overcame world number one Valera 3-2.
Bayley and Karabardak are competing as a duo in the event after teammate David Wetherill was last week deselected following an unspecified breach of team rules. They will face China in tomorrow’s final.
“Paul playing the way he is and the way he played in the singles I had no doubts that he could beat Valera but the way he beat him – he’s a legend,” said Bayley.
“I feel I’m playing my best form and I believe we can beat anyone.”
There were also two bronze medals for GB at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium following a pair of 2-0 semi-final defeats to China.
Sue Bailey and Megan Shackleton collected medals in the women’s class 4-5 following a similar result for the class eight men’s team of Aaron McKibbin, Billy Shilton and Ross Wilson.
Visually-impaired swimmer Rebecca Redfern claimed a sensational silver in the women’s SB13 100m breaststroke at Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
Fourteen months on from giving birth to son Patrick, the 21-year-old’s time of 1:14.10 was her fastest since finishing second on the podium in Rio.
“Tokyo was always the goal, and then when I got pregnant, it wasn’t the goal any more,” said Redfern, who was 0.64 seconds behind German gold medallist Elena Krawzow.
“Now it’s my dream and it has come true – and I’m just really happy.
At the Olympic Stadium, Scottish wheelchair racer Sami Kinghorn won bronze in the T53 100m.
Kinghorn, who was left paralysed in her legs at the age of 14 after accidentally being crushed by a forklift truck operated by her father, finished in 16.53secs, behind China’s Gao Fang (16.29) and Zhou Hongzhuan (16.48).
“To be able to call myself a bronze medallist knowing there were moments in the race I definitely could have done better is huge for me because I know there are only three years to Paris and I know that I can get stronger,” said the 25-year-old.
“Coming fifth in Rio, coming third now, hopefully that trajectory continues to go up and up and up.”
Earlier, British archer Victoria Rumary won bronze on her Paralympic debut in the W1 women’s individual event. Having defeated Brazilian Rejane Candida Da Silva and Italy’s Asia Pellizzari, the 33-year-old was denied progression to the gold medal match by a 127-107 loss to Czech Sarka Musilova.
Rumary recovered from that setback to earn the final podium place at Yumenoshima Final Field courtesy of a 131-123 success against American Lia Coryell.
British boccia ace David Smith grabbed his second straight individual Paralympic gold by battling back to retain his crown with a tense victory.
World champion Smith – title-winner in Rio five years ago – once again topped the podium in the BC1 class, getting the better of Malaysia’s Chew Wei Lun.
Elsewhere, Britain’s men reached the semi-finals in wheelchair basketball with a 66-52 win over Canada.
Gaz Choudhry’s 21 points helped set up a last-four meeting with hosts Japan.