WE DESERVE TO PUT BOLT IN THE SHADE SAYS WEIR
NOT many people can steal the limelight from the world’s fastest man and David Weir admitted the popularity of the Paralympic Games surprised even him. Weir, who won four gold medals in London, said he smiled when he saw that the Paralympics trumped coverage of Usain Bolt’s 100metre win in Brussels last week. He said: ‘It definitely surpassed my expectations. It made me laugh when Usain Bolt’s Diamond League was five or six pages back from us. So that just put a little bit of a smile on my face. ‘It’s been special. I’ve never experienced anything like it. When you see us (Paralympians) on the front of the papers and the back on the same day, it’s just amazing.’ The wheelchair racer, 33, added: ‘We’ve always said we’re world-class athletes and I think that’s shown in the last 11 days. We’re just as good as Olympians. ‘We’ve been banging on about it for years and years and it has taken this Games to show people we’re athletes and we’re world class like everyone else. We train as hard as everyone else and we’re getting the recognition now. ‘I think that will carry on to Rio. People are very interested in Paralympic sport. I think everyone’s attitude will change and has changed. It’s all for the good, so I’m happy.’ Weir also revealed Jessica Ennis had told him that her mother Alison said Weir was her favourite athlete of the summer — behind her daughter, of course. ‘I feel like a rock star,’ he said. ‘But I won’t change. I would be the same whatever I had done.’