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Markus Rehm soars to third straight Paralympic long jump gold
Day six evening session sees two golds for Thailand and three for China as German Blade Jumper cements his legendary status in Tokyo 01 Sep 2021
Germany’s Blade Jumper Markus Rehm burnished his status as one of the world’s premier Paralympians with a third successive long jump gold.
The world record holder soared to a handsome victory in the men’s T64 final on Wednesday, his best jump of 8.18m nearly 0.8m clear of his nearest rival at the Olympic Stadium.
“To jump 8.18m is not too bad but I aimed for a longer jump," the 33-year-old said. "That’s sport. Today was about the gold. Maybe we can attack the [world record] another time.”
France’s Dimitri Pavade finished with silver and USA’s Trenten Merril with bronze.
Tremendous Thailand
Earlier, wheelchair racing titan Leo Pekka Tahti from Finland saw his 17-year reign as men’s 100m T54 champion ended by Thai teenager Athiwat Paneg-Nuea in a congested final.
The 38-year-old, a gold medallist at each of the past four Games, had to settle for silver behind a man two decades his junior, but vowed to fight back.
"I want to show I'm getting older, but not slower," Tahti said.
There was further success for Thailand in the men’s 100m T53, as Pongsakorn Paeyo stormed to his second gold of the Games having already won the 400m T53 title.
China's triple triumph
Three golds took table-topping China's Para athletics haul to 20. Yiting Shi set a new world record (13.61) on her way to gold in the women’s 100m T36.
Fang Gao led a Chinese one-two with Hongzhuan Zhou in the women’s 100m T53 followed by Zhaoqian Zhou’s triumph in the women’s 100m T54.
"I've been really nervous about this because this has been my main goal. I compare it to like a storm in my heart, so now I'm quite relaxed," said Gao.
RPC claimed two victories in the evening session. Galina Lipatnikova bagged gold in the women’s shot put F36 and Musa Taimazov in the men’s club throw F51 breaking the world record (35.42m).
Anastasiia Moskalenko also set a new world record in the women’s shot put F32 (7.61m) taking Ukraine’s third Para athletics gold at Tokyo 2020.
For complete Para athletics schedule and results at Tokyo 2020 click here.
