Halfway mark for Aussies at World Para Athletics Championships Dubai
Published Tue 12 Nov 2019
Australia has passed the half-way mark at the 9th World Para-Athletics Championships in Dubai with a haul of 11 medals so far – with four days of competition still left.
Spurred on by four gold medals, three of those have been in new World Record times or distances: Jaryd Clifford in the 1500m (T12) final, Corey Anderson in the javelin (F38), and James Turner in the 100m T36 sprint.
In the fourth gold medal-winning event, shot putter Cam Crombie (F38) didn’t break his own world mark but he did win back-to-back titles having secured gold at the 2017 London world championships.
The four silver and three bronze medals have kept Australia in the hunt for a top-five finish from the 112 countries competing in Dubai.
Currently at the end of Day 5 of the nine-day program, Australia is sitting in 6th spot on the overall medal table behind China (15 gold), Ukraine (8), Brazil (7), Great Britain (6) and Russia – also with four gold.
But the Russians, making their return to Para-Athletics after a two-year ban following the doping scandals uncovered at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.
While the Russian team is flexing its muscles once more, Australia is holding its own and leading far greater populated nations like Germany (9th) and the United States (11th) on the medal table.
From the silver and bronze medals claimed by Australia there have been some stand-out individual performances.
Madison De Rozario, the world record holder in T54 1500m claimed a silver medal in a high-quality Dubai final whilst Marty Jackson (shot put F38) took bronze beside teammate Crombie in a personal best throw.
Michael Roeger’s silver (1500m T46) was reinstated after a protest against him was overturned by the race committee jury. Roeger won the world marathon title in London in April and was able to transition – in just seven months - to the much shorter distance for a podium finish in Dubai.
He also had the emotional upheaval of being falsely accused of impeding another athlete, when he prides himself on his integrity as a Paralympic runner.
Sarah Walsh’s bronze (long jump T64) was redemption after the disappointment of finishing one spot shy of the medals (4th) in London two years ago.
Evan O’Hanlon’s bronze (100m T38) came after he endured groin surgery following the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games just last year.
If that recovery effort wasn’t impressive enough, the bronze is his 12th medal in five world championships.
It saw him eclipse four-time Paralympian Neil Fuller (11) as the most decorated male athlete in Australian disabled sport history.
-ENDS
Michael Angus
michael.angus@athletics.org.au
Margie McDonald
mcdonaldmargie58@gmail.com
