15 September 2008
Wild weekend
A number of NSWIS athletes notched up medal winning performances in an action-packed weekend of competition.
Kurt Fearnley listened to his conscience when he made the decision to ask officials to abandon a planned re-run in his T54 Men’s 800m final. Officials agreed to run the race again after Australia protested that Fearnley was directed to the wrong lane at the start of the race. Fearnley finished second to Britain’s David Weir and claimed a silver medal.
In other athletics action Angie Ballard came in fifth place in the T53 Women’s 100m final over the weekend.
NSWIS Paralympian Lindy Hou has finished in fourth place in the B&VI 1-3 Women's Individual Time Trial in a time of 39:01.62. Already a silver and bronze medalist, Hou narrowly finished outside of the medals in fourth place in the B&VI 1-3 Women's Individual Road Race on Sunday in 2:01.17.
NSWIS athlete Peter Leek collected two more silver medals at the Water Cube over the weekend in the S8 Men’s 50m and S8 Men’s 400m Freestyle finals, with fellow NSWIS athlete Matt Levy finishing eighth and seventh, respectively, in the S8 Men’s 50m Freestyle and S8 Men’s 400m Freestyle. Ben Austin finished fifth in the S8 Men’s 50m Freestyle.
Jacqui Freney claimed two bronze medals with her efforts in the S8 Women’s 400m Freestyle and the S8 Women’s 50m Freestyle finals to couple the bronze medal she won on the second day of Paralympic competition.