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“I did it. I did my job.”
And it was those words James Turner said to himself as the thumped the Tokyo stadium track with his right fist after winning gold in the 400m (36) final.
Turner was joined by two other Australian medallists at day’s end – Jaryd Clifford (bronze 1500m T13) an Madi de Rozario (bronze 1500m T54), who both won their second tracks medals in Tokyo to take Australia’s medal tally in athletics to 12: two gold, five silver, five bronze.
It wasn’t Turner’s fastest time (52.80) – he holds the world record at 51.71 – but it was enough to hold off Russian Evgenili Shvetsov (53.60) as both cerebral palsy athletes struggled over the last five metres.
“I nearly tripped over before the line so I’m glad I got there finally,” he said.
Turner has now got seven major championship gold medals in a row. It started with the 800m win in Rio in 2016 – the event is no longer on the Paralympic program.
Then it was three gold (200m, 400m, 800m) at the 2017 London World Championships, two more gold (100m, 400m) at the 2019 Dubai worlds, and into Tokyo.
Number eight might be just around the corner as the 100m (T36) heats are on Friday.
But there was a hint of pre-race anxieties for the 400m after Turner watched squad teammates Chad Perris and Scott Reardon miss the podium in their 100m sprint events.
“It’s a real credit to them. They may not have got the results that they wanted but they kept strong and that gave me strength too,” Turner said.
“They helped me perform at my best and get me through all this. I owe a lot to them. It’s great to be able to train with them.”
Due to the nature of his cerebral palsy, 25-year-old Turner has trouble with his balance and muscle composure after pushing himself under physical stress. He lay on his back in the exit tunnel of the Olympic Stadium today so cool towels and ice could be applied.
He wasn’t alone – New Zealand bronze medallist William Stedman (54.75) also found his legs gave out, forcing him to lie flat as well while medical attention arrived. Both athletes were moved into the nearby medical rooms where they were given ice baths and other treatments.
“I think I’ll go alright in the 100. This often happens to me after I race hard,” Turner said. “I’m not sure I prefer the 100 but it hurts a lot less, so that’s something.
“I’m feeling good for the 100. My run today has given me confidence I can perform well.”
And as for winning Paralympic gold in back-to-back Games?
“That is a personal satisfaction to be. It’s also an absolute determination to remain undefeated.”
Jaryd Clifford, also a current world record holder like Turner, suffered his second defeat in Tokyo with bronze in the 1500m (T13) today after silver in the 5000m on
“I’m obviously not over the Moon but I’m not disappointed either,” Clifford said of silver in 3:54.69 behind Russian gold medallist Aleksandr Kostin (3:54.04) and Tunisian silver medallist Rouay Jebabli (3:54.55).
“It was an insanely good final. Kostin has run able-bodied world champs and world Uni Games. So I can’t take the race out that hard because they’ll just sit on me and I’ll become a lot more tired and might lose a medal.
“Tactically I needed someone to take it out hard but no-one’s stupid in this heat because we’re all so close in times.”
He said his collapse after the 5000m final didn’t affect his 1500m.
“I doubt it because the 1500 was always going to be my toughest race because it’s the toughest field. This is the who’s who of vision-impaired running.
“For me I would have loved to win a gold medal but the fact that it’s so high-quality here, when that day comes it’s going to be very special.”
It already was for Clifford’s teammate Sam Harding, who finished 11th in 4:05.13. It was a nine-year wait for his first Paralympic final after being selected for the London 2012 team but falling ill with glandular fever and having to withdraw.
“I’ve been thinking so much of today and what could happen. I was a fair bit of my PB but I gave it all. The last 10 years or so have been a bit average so I’m hoping the next 10 won’t be,” the 30-year-old Harding said.
“I want more of this. It was good to be out there. I felt like I deserved to be out there.”
That sums up Alissa Jordaan’s maiden Games. She ran a PB 100m (T47) in the heats today but missed the final by two spots as 10th fastest qualifier.
“I just didn’t think too much in that race and came away with my fastest time. I know my legs can run fast so I just let them do the talking,” she said.
The 18-year-old made the 400m final on Saturday night, finishing 7th to wrap up her first Paralympics.
De Rozario finished her three track events with two medals – tonight’s 1500m was a test of not only physical strength but mental as a heavy shower came over the field of 10 women. Pre-race favourite – and two-time gold medallist already in Japan – Susannah Scaroni missed the start when her rubber gloves slipped on the pushing rim of her wheelchair. She finished 9th unable to make up the ground lost.
“Thankfully it played out in my favour a little with the wet weather – (coach Louise Sauvage) and I have a process to prep ourselves for rain. We take every opportunity to train in it too,” said de Rozario, who sprayed her gloves and rim with the same glue-like spray the pole vaulters use.
She finished in 3:28.24 behind China’s Zhaoqian Zhou (3:27.63) to add bronze to her gold in the 800m.
“That was a cagey race with no-one wanting to show their cards too early and throw in the weather and you had to adapt. I got boxed in at one stage so I didn’t have the highest of hopes in that race.
“Basically, I just went for it with a lap to go and was going to accept whatever might happen. It was far from the perfect race but to make it onto a Paralympic podium, I’m pretty happy with that.”
Australia’s three-Games veteran, shot putter Todd Hodgetts, had his competition paused at one stage due to the rain. But there were bigger issues at stake.
Technical officials flagged that Hodgetts, Ecuador’s Jordi Congo-Villalba and Malaysian Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli were late to the pre-event call-room, and even though the competition went ahead the results of the trio would be registered as DNS (Did Not Start).
Zolkefli broke his own world record with a 17.94m throw to take gold. Congo-Villalba was 6th and Hodgetts 7th (15.48) but all three athletes were given a DNS as the official results were published.
Australia, Ecuador and Malaysia protested that decision before the International Paralympic Committee (IPC)’s jury, but that appeal was rejected.
Hodgetts said he would put the episode behind him and he was focusing on a fourth Games at Paris in 2024 and next year’s World Para-Athletics Championships.
By: Margie McDonald, Paralympics Australia
Posted: 31 August 2021
