ATHENS, 22 September 2004 — Rewriting its performance at the Sydney Paralympics in 2000, where it ranked 8th overall in total medals, China has emerged as the dominant force in elite sports for the disabled as day three of the Athens Games kicked off yesterday.
The Chinese squad, already thinking ahead to 2008 when Beijing will host both the Olympics and the Paralympics, has been especially strong in athletics, picking up 14 medals — eight of them gold — in the first three days of competition. China has also turned in strong performances in swimming and judo.
With 15 gold and 32 medals overall, China has already opened up what may prove to be an insurmountable lead over traditional Paralympics powerhouses Britain, Spain and Australia. It was Australia, which has a strong program of sports for the disabled, notably in swimming and cycling that finished atop the medals table in Sydney.
One swimming gold medal that did slip away from Australia four years ago was reclaimed yesterday when Ben Austin beat his long-time rival Konstantinos Fykas in the S8 100 meters freestyle before a full house of cheering supporters.
The S8 classification denotes full use of arms with limited leg function, or use of only one arm with minimal loss of leg function.
“At the end of the race, I embarrassed Ben (Austin) and we laughed because I beat him in his country in 2000 and he beat me in mine,” Fykas said after the race.
“It’s good that I got back to win the medal, and it is also great to have back the world record,” Austen commented in turn.
Britain’s 22 medals thus far have come mainly in swimming as well, with cycling also accounting for five. Along with Spain, which has 21 medals overall, notably in swimming and judo, Britain’s is one of only a few delegations in which women athletes have won almost as many or more medals than men. More than two thirds of Germany’s 24 medals to date have been captured by women.
Overall, women comprise only 30 percent of competitors at the Athens Paralympics, seven percent more than in Sydney.
Athletics spectators got their first look yesterday at US running sensation Marlon Shirley, one of the few professional athletes in Paralympics sports and the only amputee to ever run under 11 seconds in the 100-meter dash. He easily won a preliminary heat in the men’s T44 200 meter dash, reserved for athletes with one leg amputated below the knees.
“I look forward to tomorrow’s race and it will be a good warm up for me before the 100 meter races,” he said, clearly trying to lower expectations.
Also in the T44 200 meter dash heats yesterday Oscar Pistorius broke the world record, emerging as a serious threat for Shirley in today’s final, along with teammate and traditional rival Brian Frasure.
Hong Kong held tenaciously to a 6th place ranking purely on the strength of its remarkable wheelchair fencing team, which has totally dominated the event in both women’s and men’s competition.
Athletes in Athens compete over 12 days until Sept. 28 in 19 sports in six different categories of disability.
