Redemption, Medals, Records As Australian Para Athletes Shine in Glasgow

Australia’s Para athletes continue to deliver in Glasgow, with more Commonwealth Games medals flowing from the velodrome and the athletics track.

The most dramatic medal was secured by wheelchair racer Eliza Ault-Connell, who won bronze in the Women’s 1500m T54, a staggering 24 years after her first Commonwealth Games medal which she won in Manchester in 2002.

The event was a re-run of the original final in which Ault-Connell crashed through no fault of her own, this time taking bronze in 3:40.84 in the race which was won by Scotlands Melanie Woods in a time of 3:32.20, delighting the home crowd.

Ault-Conell led home debutant Mikaela Dingley who finished sixth place, after finishing in the bronze medal position in the first final before officials ruled that it would be re-run.
“It’s been an absolutely massive few days,” the 44-year-old told AAP.

Two-time Paralympian Rhiannon Clarke providing another highlight for Australia, the first international gold medal of her career in the Women’s 200m T38 in a time of 26.92. Teammate Briseis Brittain landed bronze in 27.66seconds.

“I have always wanted to be a gold medallist! I feel like that’s everyone’s dream and to be able to have done it and to know that all the hard work has paid off is incredible,” Clarke said.

Joining the Para athletics podium party were teenage debutants Layla Sharp and Ayla Kowalczyk who both won medals in the Women’s Long Jump T38, as Sharp leapt to a new Australian record of 5.06m for silver, while 15-year-old Kowalczyk produced the best jump of her life at 4.71m.

Samuel Rizzo gave the Australian athletics dream a brilliant start to proceedings by winning bronze in the Men’s 1500m T54 in the day’s first medal event, working alongside teammate Sam Carter at the front of the field, with Carter fading to sixth place in the final lap.

Over at the velodrome, two-time Paralympian Gordon Allan delivered a record-breaking performance in the Men’s Para-Cycling C2 1000m Time Trial to claim the silver medal.

A bronze-medallist from the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Allan arrived in Glasgow hoping to impress in his first Commonwealth Games appearance and did just that.

The Sydney-sider set a new Commonwealth Games benchmark with his ride against the clock stopping it at 1:11.282.

Meanwhile, Kane Perris and Luke Zaccaria doubled their medal tally in Glasgow by winning their bronze final against Malaysia in the men’s tandem sprint. That makes two bronze medals for the West Australians after also placing third in the ‘Kilo’.

“We missed out on a medal at the Paralympics a few years ago, and to come back at a major event in Scotland, which is almost a home Games for me with the amount of family I have over here, and to get on the podium with Luke twice, is bloody special,” Perris said.

Jessica Gallagher and her pilot Jacqui Mengler-Mohr also added a second silver medal to their collection, this time in the women’s tandem 1km time trial. Their time of 1:06.852 was the fastest ever by an Australia women’s tandem. They were bested only by the Kiwi pairing of Emma Foy, piloted by Jessie Hodges.

The velodrome will again be Australia’s main target for medals on the final day of competition.

Allan will be aiming for glory in the C1-3 3000m Individual Pursuit while Erin Normoyle and Tara Neyland will be pushing to end on a high in the women’s C4-5 1000m time trial final.