I’m A Celebrity star Hollie admits she cracked under the pressure

HOLLIE Arnold admits she cracked under pressure after relinquishing her Paralympic javelin crown in Tokyo, writes Charlie Bennett of Sportsbeat.

The Loughborough-based athlete looked set for another victory when she landed a 39.73 metre throw in the fourth round in torrential Tokyo rain.

However, New Zealand’s Holly Robinson and Netherlands’ Noelle Roorda both threw further in the final round, bumping Arnold down to third.

The 27-year-old had a chance to respond and take gold with her final throw but the pressure got to her and she could only manage 34.48, forcing her to settle for bronze.

“It did 100%,” she said. “The pressure is internal and external. I put so much pressure on myself to go out there and win every time. It’s tough. It’s mentally tough and physically tough.

“No, I’m not happy. It’s just one of those things. It was really tough conditions out there. I know there was a big throw in me, you could see the passion and fight. I’ve probably got millions of bruises on my leg from slapping it to get ready to compete.”

Arnold, below, may only be 27 but she is competing at her fourth Paralympics and insists she remains motivated for a fifth in Paris.

The I’m a Celebrity TV star won’t give up without a fight and believes she will only get better with age. “I’m excited to see what can happen next year, you’ve got the World Championships in Kobe,” she added.

“Then we have the next Paralympics in three years’ time and that’s a really good age for me, 30.

“That sounds really old, but it’ll be my fifth Paralympics by then, and hopefully the weather won’t be rainy and it’ll be nice and sunny in Paris. I’m certainly not giving up, no way.

“I do enjoy the fight. My dad called me a gladiator when I was born. I’m born the way I am to do things like this.”

In the men’s 200m T61, Loughborough’s Richard Whitehead claimed silver with a season’s best time of 23.99 seconds.

The 45-year-old double Paralympic gold medal winner missed out to South Africa’s Ntando Mahlangu, who crossed the line in 23.59.

There was also a silver for Libby Clegg in the 4x100m universal relay as the Loughborough star signed off her Paralympics career.

The event, featuring sprinters from different classifications, included Jonnie Peacock, Clegg and her guide runner Chris Clarke in the GB team.