After medal glory, Lyle eyes a curry!
BRITAIN’S Maria Lyle could not walk last week because of a painful left leg injury. Now, she is the proud holder of two medals from this week’s World Para- Athletics Championships.
Lyle bagged bronze in the T35 100metres final with a time of 14.45 seconds last night.
It followed her third-place finish in the T35 200m final on Sunday, though both medals will go with the rest of the haul which the modest teenager keeps — in a box by her bed.
‘It was only this week I was able to run,’ said 17-year- old Lyle. ‘Last week I wasn’t able to walk so it has been a quick turnaround. I was preparing myself not to run, so to finish third in both races and get medals, I couldn’t ask for any more.
‘It’s my first time in this stadium. I remember watching it (London 2012) on the TV and thinking, “I want to be there”. It’s amazing getting this opportunity. London holds the best events for para-sports, so hopefully it will come here again.
‘We’ve got the British crowd and they’re so open-minded towards our para-athletes. At previous World Championships, we had nobody in the stadium.’
Australia’s Isis Holt won with a world-record time of 13.43 seconds.
When asked about her medals, Lyle said: ‘I keep them all in a box. I don’t show them off. I’m not like that. I hide them. I’m just going to celebrate and eat a curry. Korma, pilau rice, naan bread and I’ll be happy.’ Britain’s Samantha Kinghorn followed on from her success of securing a world record in the T53 200m final on Saturday with a bronze medal in the T53 400m last night.
Kinghorn’s family were in attendance at the London Stadium as she finished third with a time of 55.71sec.
Elsewhere, Britain’s Rhys Jones qualified for the final of the men’s T37 100m with a personal best of 11.69sec.