Commonwealth Games: Aled Sion Davies completes gold medal set in Birmingham

Paralympic legend Aled Sion Davies completed the gold medal set by becoming Commonwealth Games champion for the first time.

Davies won the F42-44/61-64 men's discus final with a throw of 51.39m.

Davies' gold follows on from the success of fellow Wales Paralympian Olivia Breen who won the T37/38 women's 100m title.

Fellow Welshman Harrison Walsh claimed a bronze medal with Palitha Halgahawela Gedara winning silver.

Defending champion Dan Greaves claimed fourth place.

Even though Greaves (54.66) and Walsh (54.76) threw further than Davies, the Welshman was still crowned champion as he produced a Commonwealth Games record.

This was because this competition combines different para-athletic classes so the final result was based on points rather than distance.

Greaves and Walsh are in the F44 section which is considered a more moderate disability category than Davies' F42.

Davies, 31, is a triple Paralympic gold medallist and won multiple world and European competitions, but had never won a Commonwealth crown.

His previous best was a silver medal in Glasgow eight years ago with his event not held in Australia in 2018.

After reverting back to discus from shot put, Davies was in fine form having broken his own six-year-old F42 world record with a throw of 56.21m just before the Birmingham Games.

Paralympic legend Aled Sion Davies now has Commonwealth Games gold and silver medals

"I can't believe it," said Davies.

"It is an emotional one. It has been a rocky road here. I love my family, I love everybody around me, I have worked hard. They have supporting me from the start and they are here towards the end.

"I am just happy I can do them proud. Wales is a special nation and they have been behind us and I am just glad we take home more medals.

"After 2014, I thought I would never have the opportunity to represent Wales again and it's something close to my heart.

"This is a special one. It is always difficult when you have a points system and combined categories and with the event not being in for so long.

"I have not done discus throwing for such a long time. When we heard about this opportunity it was always going to be a short turnaround, but we put in the work and we have shown what we can do.

"I have come out in the best shape I have been in. I wasn't quite on it tonight but I was in a place where even on a bad day I can deliver a respectful performance. Job done."

Para-athlete Walsh, 26, was a promising rugby player before he suffered a serious knee injury aged 18.

He switched to athletics but was ruled out of his first Paralympics in Tokyo in 2021 because of an ankle injury.

"Aled was the inspiration for me getting into this," said Walsh.

"If I was asked about a discus thrower in Wales even before I knew about para-sport it was Aled Davies.

"I can't believe I am sharing the circle and now the podium with him.

"I feel over the moon, this eruption of emotion, I could not even keep it in.

"I can't believe I am here, representing Wales, it's all I have ever I wanted to do. I am so proud of my nation and what we have achieved together.

"There was a lot to do. We didn't throw what we know we can throw but that's competition and we were fighting out there.

"It was a scrap out there and it was not going to come to me easy out there because it never has.

"Getting injured in my rugby career and Tokyo, this is what it was always going to be like.

"It came down to that last throw and I was waiting and that was probably the longest I had waited for anything. I am here and I am here to stay."