Resurgent Aussies can turn the tables
THE data experts who correctly predicted the record-breaking performances by Australia’s Olympic team have made another fearless forecast for our Paralympians in Tokyo.
The slide down the medals table is about to come to an abrupt end because Australia is tipped to win more medals on Tuesday than it has at any Olympics or Paralympics in decades.
It’s a bold statement because predicting medal winners is difficult at the best of times - and the Aussies have been steadily tumbling down the table after ending day one on top with six golds.
However, even after taking all that into account, the number crunchers have calculated that Aussie athletes could win around a dozen medals on Tuesday to storm back into the top five nations.
Here are some of our best chances for glory.
ATHLETICS
Jaryd Clifford: Visually impaired runner from Victoria. Has already won a silver medal in Tokyo in the 5000m, then spewed after his race. On Tuesday, he will race in the 1500m, an event in which he holds the world record.
James Turner: An all-round star, Turner has represented Australia in football and athletics. He won a gold Paralympic athletics gold medal at Rio in 2016, and has won five world titles since. His first event on Tuesday is the 400m, in which he holds the world record.
Madi de Rozario: Has already won gold in Tokyo after her stunning victory in the 800m wheelchair race – her first in four Paralympic appearances. On Tuesday, she races in the 1500m, an event in which she has won a medal at each of the past three world championships.
ROAD CYCLING
Emily Petricola: Won gold in the individual pursuit on the track when she lapped her opponent three-quarters of the way through the race. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, the Class 4 time-trials present more challenges, but she remains favourite after winning the world title in 2019.
Meg Lemon: Also entered in the C4 time-trial. Lemon just missed a medal in the individual pursuit, finishing fourth, but is at her best in the road events, winning five world championship medals since Rio.
David Nichols: Has already won a bronze medal in the Class 3 individual pursuit. Entered in the time-trial, which he won at the 2012 Paralympics and 2019 world championships. Alistair Donohue: Has one of the most recognisable mullets in the Australian Paralympic team. Can ride fast, too. Has won three Paralympic silver medals - two from Rio and one in
Tokyo. Among the favourites in the C5 time-trial.
Darren Hicks: One-legged cyclist from South Australia. Lost his other leg driving a truck that lost its brakes and crashed. Won a silver medal on the track, and is a real possibility of another in the time-trial.
Carol Cooke (pictured): The oldest member of the cycling team at 60. A legend of Para cycling who has won three gold medals at previous Games. Also a big contender in her time-trial classification.
SWIMMING:
Grant Patterson: Better known as “Scooter”, he already has a bronze in Tokyo and is among the favourites in the SB2 50m breaststroke.
Col Pearse: Strong contender in the S10 100m butterfly. Lives on a farm, so trained in a dam during lockdown. Jasmine Greenwood: NSW teenager chasing her first Paralympic medal after winning a bronze in the 100m butterfly at last world championships.