MEDALS GALORE FOR WALES AT PARALYMPIC WORLD CUP
Welsh swimmers celebrated official selection for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games by winning two golds and a silver at the Paralympic World Cup, while the nation’s cyclists, athletes and basketballers also had a successful Manchester outing.
At the pool, David Roberts won gold in the men’s S7 50m freestyle. He said, “It was really enjoyable – it was a good race and it’s great to race in front of a really vocal crowd and hearing the British crowd behind you is really good.”
Bridgend swimmer Rhiannon Henry bettered her own British record in the S13 100m butterfly to take gold. The swimmer – who turns 21 later this month – studies at the University of Montreal in Canada.
Porth’s Nyree Lewis was also on podium form, taking silver in the SM6 200m individual medley.
Meanwhile at the Manchester Regional Arena, Britain’s women’s basketball team managed to come back from semi-final defeat to China to beat Brazil to the final podium spot and win bronze before China were then defeated in the gold medal match by Holland.
Clare Strange – who hails from Newport – said: “We were a better team than yesterday.
“We stepped it up from yesterday, played the game and took it away from them. It was a good win.
“We are disappointed we didn’t make the final, our aim was to finish in the top two, but we are pleased we nailed the bronze.
Adding to the world-best performances delivered by Jody Cundy and Ellen Hunter last Thursday, the duo were able to produce further plaudits.
Swansea-based Cundy took up the team sprint with Darren Kenny and Mark Bristow. The threesome raced 49.958 to beat the world record and take the gold over China in second place.
There was also another world record set by Wrexham’s Ellen Hunter and Scotland’s Aileen McGlynn of 3:36.752 in the women’s B/VI tandem 3km pursuit, beating the old marker set in Athens by USA cyclists Karissa Whitsell and Katie Compton.
On the final day of competition at the Paralympic World Cup (Sunday 11 May), Kenfig Hill’s Nathan Stephens threw a personal best in the seated shot competition to finish sixth while Andrew Williams of Mold finished eighth.
Queensferry athlete Beverley Jones took silver with a throw of 10.26m in the F37/38 shot putt competition behind Na Mi from China, who threw a personal best of 10.45m to take the title.
There were also personal best performances for Claire Williams and Tracey Hinton. Williams of Carmarthen set a new PB of 36.10m in the discus while Hinton of Cardiff recorded a PB of 13.44 seconds in the T11/12 100m.
The Paralympic World Cup, now in its fourth year, took place in Manchester from May 7 to 11, with wheelchair basketball, track cycling, swimming and athletics all featured in the five-day sports event.
Across the five days of sport Britain’s men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams won silver and bronze respectively, while Britain’s swimmers took seven gold, four silver and three bronze medals. This added to the nine golds, three silvers and four bronze medals won by GB on the cycling track.
For further information about Wales at the Paralympic World Cup please visit http://www.paralympicworldcup.com or contact Jane Williams at the Sports Council for Wales on 02920 338 247 or email jane.williams@scw.org.uk
Caroline Matthews is pictured here taken from www.paralympicworldcup.com
