PEACOCK GETS HIS FAIR SHARE OF GLORY
BLADE RUNNER Jonnie Peacock lost his first major final in a decade, settling for a bronze in the closest Paralympic race in history.
The two-time 100m champion endured an agonising wait of over three minutes to find out whether he had made the podium.
Then the scoreboard flashed to show he had shared the bronze in 10.79secs with Johannes Floors in a
from JAMES TONEY race won by Felix Streng in 10.76secs.
Peacock, 28, said: “I didn’t think you could share medals in sprints, has this ever happened?
“Long John Silver was the only person I saw growing up. We need more representation.
“I’m biased, but I think that’s one of the best races in the Paralympics.”
In the equestrian arena Sir Lee Pearson’s 14th gold medal was the one he least expected.
Breezer, his inexperienced 10-year-old, delivered team and individual golds in Tokyo but a third in freestyle looked a long trot.
Pearson, 47, said: “I told the team, if we do retire tonight, I still love him and he still is amazing and he’s given me so much.”
In the end, Breezer boogied to the tune of Kung Fu Panda and all the way to victory with a score of 82.447%.
Elsewhere, Andrew Small now has a medal to match his idols David Weir and Hannah Cockroft in the wheelchair racing.
Small won the men’s T33 100m and said: “This is the combination of a lot of hard struggles and it means so much.”
There was pain and pleasure in equal measure for Phoebe Paterson Pine. The
Cheltenham archer was drawn against fellow Briton and friend Jessica Stretton, ranked No.1 in the world, in the quarter-finals.
Paterson Pine beat Stretton by 141-140, propelling her to compound gold on debut.
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