Paralympics day 11: Hannah Cockroft continues golden run in Tokyo

Hannah Cockroft claimed her second Tokyo 2020 gold and Aled Sion Davies was also victorious but there was no further success for Kadeena Cox on Saturday.

A badly-cut hand was not enough to prevent Cockroft cruising to glory in the T34 800 metres, defending her title in a time of 1:48.99.

The 29-year-old, injured in an earlier accident, finished more than 10 seconds ahead of second-placed team-mate Kare Adenegan while a third Briton, Fabienne Andre, took fourth.

Cockroft, sporting a strapping, was hurt when she trapped her hand in the wheels of her chair in wet conditions. She admitted it was painful but it did not prevent her claiming her seventh career Paralympic gold.

“I put my hand through the wheel, while the chair was moving,” she said. “I’ve never done it before.

“Wheelchairs and rain don’t mix so I slipped off the rim and there’s not really much space to slip into so it went straight in.

“My hand went straight round but luckily a coach was stood with me. It’s pretty bloody but it’s fine.”

Asked if she considered pulling out, she replied: “No. Never. Even if my hand’s fallen off I was going to be on that start line.”

Cockroft’s victory moves her within four golds of matching Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson as Britain’s most successful athletics Paralympian.

Davies triumphed for a third time at the Paralympics as he defended his F63 shot put title with a throw of 15.33 metres. Davies, who also won discus gold in 2012, was well clear of second-placed Sajad Mohammadian of Iran, who threw 14.88m.

Cox, meanwhile, had been hoping to defend her T38 400m title and add to the two cycling gold medals she won earlier in the Games.

It was not to be, however, as she was forced to settle for fourth in heavy rain behind Germany’s Lindy Ave – who won in a world-record time of exactly one minute – Margarita Goncharova and Darian Faisury Jimenez Sanchez.

There was further British success at the Sea Forest Waterway as Charlotte Henshaw edged out Emma Wiggs for gold in the KL2 kayak.

The 34-year-old former swimmer beat her compatriot by just 0.649secs – adding to her incredible run since switching from the pool in early 2017.

The victory adds a Paralympic gold to the SB6 breaststroke silver and bronze which she claimed in London and Rio respectively.

Henshaw said: “I didn’t switch sports to win a gold medal but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to complete the set.”

Ex-sprinter Laura Sugar also claimed gold on Saturday, winning the women’s KL3 competition, while there was VL3 bronze for Stuart Wood in the men’s events.

There was a silver medal in the wheelchair tennis for Lucy Shuker and Jordanne Whiley after they were beaten 6-0 6-1 by Holland’s Diede De Groot and Aniek Van Koot in the women’s doubles final.

A day after losing the men’s doubles final, Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewitt were on opposite sides of the net in the singles bronze medal match. Reid beat his friend 6-4 3-6 7-5.

Dan Bethall took silver in the para-badminton after losing to India’s Pramod Bhagat in the SL3 final.

Picture of the day

Social media moment

The colour of the medal did not matter for Brazilian Ricardo Gomes de Mendonca, who had a golden celebration for his bronze victory in the men’s T37 200m.

Figure of the day

What’s coming up on Sunday?

The Games conclude with the closing ceremony, prior to which the marathons round off the athletics action, which includes wheelchair racer David Weir in the men’s event.

And Great Britain’s men’s wheelchair basketball team will take on Spain in the bronze medal match.