Your support helps us to tell the story
British wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft maintained her 100 per cent Paralympic record by breezing to the ninth gold of her career with a crushing victory in the women’s T34 800m.
The 32-year-old cruised home in one minute and 55.44 seconds – 11 seconds slower than her world record personal best, set last year.
Compatriot Kare Adenegan completed a British one-two, finishing 7.68secs adrift, while Fabienne Andre was fourth in a time of two minutes 6.8secs. American Eva Houston won bronze.
Cockroft led from the gun on the penultimate day of competition and was once again a class above her rivals to maintain the domination she has enjoyed since bursting on to the scene at London 2012.
Victory at Stade de France was her second of the Games following last Sunday’s commanding display in the T34 100m final.
“The atmosphere was amazing, I could feel the noise following me around, it’s like being back in London, I love it,” she said.
“This is how many people love Para sport. This is what we want to see.
I just want to sleep right now but hopefully I’ll go home, have an amazing wedding and have a great life— British wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft
“It doesn’t end here, we have world and European championships year on year, it’s not a four-year gap for us.”
Cockroft will next month marry ParalympicsGB team-mate Nathan Maguire in her hometown of Halifax.
“It’s in three weeks and five days, so now the hard work begins,” she said.
“I just want to sleep right now but hopefully I’ll go home, have an amazing wedding and have a great life.”
In GB’s final field event, Aled Davies had to settle for F63 shot put silver.
The 33-year-old Welshman, a three-time Paralympic gold medallist, produced a best effort of 15.10 metres.
Kuwait’s Faisal Sorour took gold from world record holder Davies with a season’s best throw of 15.31m.
“I am trying to look at the positives, but I am not really a silver kind of guy,” said Davies, who won the F42 title in Rio and Tokyo, having also won discus gold at London 2012.
“Losing is part and parcel of this. I have been lucky to be dominating this for so long.
“I don’t mind losing, I really don’t, but I don’t like underperforming. I wasn’t the better man.”
British sprinter Didi Okoh then marked her Paralympic debut with bronze in the women’s T63 100m in a personal best time of 14.59 secs.
Italian runner Martina Caironi won gold in 14.16 secs, while Indonesian silver medallist Karisma Evi Tiarani crossed in 14.26 secs.
Monica Graziana Contrafatto shared bronze with Okoh following an appeal after her fellow Italian Ambra Sabatini, who was leading the race, fell and collided with her.
“Anything can happen in a race, a 100m is always full of surprises and this happened to be one,” said Okoh.
“I’m really proud for pushing myself to the line because my one goal was a PB, I wanted to run a really good race and just put on a show, hopefully I did.”
