World Para-athletics Championships: Second golds for Hahn, Davies & Hermitage

  • Published
Sophie Hahn, Aled Davies and Georgie HermitageImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Sophie Hahn, Aled Davies and Georgie Hermitage helped take GB's medal tally to 35

British trio Sophie Hahn, Aled Davies and Georgie Hermitage each claimed their second gold medals on the ninth day of the World Para-athletics Championships in London.

Hahn won the T38 100m, emulating her achievement in the 200m, with team-mate Kadeena Cox second.

Hermitage added T37 100m gold to her 400m title and Davies, already the F42 discus champion, claimed shot put gold.

Jonathan Broom-Edwards took silver in the T44 high jump.

It takes Britain's total medal tally to 35, surpassing the 31 won in Doha two years ago and closing in on their best modern tally of 38, set in 2011.

Pocket rocket Hahn a giant of sprinting

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Sophie Hahn also won gold in the T38 100m at Rio 2016

Paralympic champion Hahn, 20, triumphed in a star-studded final containing three British gold medallists in this event, along with 400m winner Cox and long jump champion Olivia Breen, who came fourth.

Hahn, who has cerebral palsy, cemented herself as the classification's premier sprinter, finishing more than half a second ahead of Cox, for her fifth career world title and ninth medal at major competitions.

"I'm so happy to retain my title and break a world record. It has been amazing, I just want to thank the officials, volunteers and National Lottery, without all of them we wouldn't be here," she told BBC Radio 5 live.

Cox, 26, completed a trio of gold, silver and bronze medals in London and said she would now focus on repeating her feat of claiming gold in two separate sports at Rio 2016 by returning to cycling before Tokyo 2020.

Davies does the double

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Double Olympic gold medallist Davies took the F42 discus title at London 2012 and F42 shot put gold in Rio

Davies' gold in the discus on Sunday had come in his less-favoured event, suggesting the 26-year-old's success in the shot put was almost certain, having won the title at the last two Worlds and at Rio 2016.

Davies, who was born with talipes and hemi-hemilia, which means his right leg is missing bones, muscle and ligaments, is the first man to pass the 17m mark in the classification, throwing 17.52m to smash his own record of 16.13m.

"I was happy to say the least - phenomenal," said the Welshman. "This crowd got me to a different level and I would thank every single person if I could.

"What I wanted to do was be at the forefront of the event and the aim is 20m and it is something I think I could do.

"Discus has been on the back-burner since London as it is not in the Paralympic programme so it has been about the shot put and we think we can go further, we were aiming for 18m."

Hermitage gets her London moments

Hermitage, 28, who has cerebral palsy, walked away from athletics at the age of 14 but returned to training five years ago, citing London 2012 as an inspiration.

She has gone on to win Paralympic gold in Rio and a world title in Doha, but has spoken of her desire to make memories inside the same stadium that hosted the Paralympics in 2012.

She can now reflect on two world titles, including a world record in the 400m.

"I didn't get the best of starts, I was aware of the pressure on my outside, but it went well and I'm happy to get the win," she said.

Earlier, Broom-Edwards, who has muscular and joint impairments in his legs, was beaten by Poland's Maciej Lepiato at a major championships for the fourth time in his career.

The 29-year-old now has silver medals from three World Championships as well as last year's Paralympics.

Image source, PA
Image caption,

Jonathan Broom-Edwards was beaten by world record holder Maciej Lepiato

"I feel great. It's not quite the result I was aiming for. I feel I'm in shape for a new personal best. But this atmosphere is hard to harness," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

"The atmosphere can help and it can hinder. There was one jump I was so excited and I crashed into the bar. It's an experience I want to get better at."

Elsewhere, Graeme Ballard and Paul Blake finished fourth and sixth respectively in the T36 100m and Jack Gladman was ninth in the T38 1500m on his senior international debut.

Zak Skinner, making his British debut at a major championships, came fourth in the T13 long jump, for athletes with visual impairment.

America's Paralympic champion Mikey Brannigan, the first T20 athlete to run a sub four-minute mile, took gold in the event as GB's Steve Morris came fifth and team-mate James Hamilton sixth.

Ireland's Michael McKillop defended his middle-distance double by winning the T37 1500m final to add to his 800m success.

Around the BBC

Related internet links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.