I CAN’T BELIEVE I OWEN A GOLD
Dream medal for hardworking track star Miller
OWEN MILLER spends his weekends washing dishes in a hotel kitchen but Dunfermline’s dynamo cleaned up at the Paralympics with a shock gold.
The 29-year-old rocketed off the final bend to overhaul Russia’s Aleksander Rabotnitskii and win the T20 1500 metres in 3:54.57.
Miller, who has autism, claimed the European record in July but he snuck in on the blind side to become the first Scot to end up on top on the track in Tokyo this summer.
And he said: “It went exactly the way I wanted. I timed it right and I just knew I could do it.
“I gave it my all. That was my best. I went for it and knew nobody was going to catch me. Now I’m a gold medallist and a Paralympian. That feels great. It’s huge. It’s something I’ve never experienced.
“I could never imagine I’d be a Paralympic gold medallist when I took up the sport. But I am today.”
Miller’s come a long way since he was locked out of sport as a kid due to his learning difficulties.
Being talent spotted when he won his school sports day led to Fife AC and a chance to carry the Olympic torch ahead of London 2012.
But going from sixth place at the 2019 world championships to making it big in Japan has required a massive jump.
Owen said: “It is hard going but the work I have done in the last 18 months has really paid off and helped me.
“If it wasn’t for all the support back home I wouldn’t be here today. It means the world to me.”
Sprint star Libby Clegg got an almost-perfect goodbye to athletics with silver from the 4x100 universal relay.
Clegg, Jonnie Peacock, Ali Smith and Nathan Maguire originally came third as the USA struck gold. But China’s disqualification handed the Brits an upgrade – with Clegg taking the Scots medal tally in these games to 20.
She said: “It is pretty outstanding we are here winning a medal. I’m so pleased to finish my career on the track with a medal.
“I won two Paralympic golds in Rio and it didn’t make me happy– right now this is my proudest moment, being part of this team.”