Stefanie Reid wins bronze medal in 200 sprint at Paralympic Games

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

BEIJING – Stefanie Reid of Windsor, Ont., overcame a self-described disappointing performance in the long jump to win the bronze medal Tuesday in the women’s 200-metre sprint in track and field action at the Paralympic Games.

Reid, a below-knee amputee, clocked a Canadian record 28.85 seconds for her first career Paralympic medal.  Katrin Green of Germany won the gold medal in the T44 disability class race clocking 28.02 seconds while Kate Horan of New Zealand was second in 28.36.

"It was a really rough day and I’m just glad I finished it on a high note," said Reid, 23, who bettered her time by a second.  "After the disappointment of the long jump I just came back and ran an angry 200 metres and I was really pleased with everything."

Reid was in the outside lane in the nine-runner final which saw the leader with 40-metres go tumble after pulling a hamstring and knocking out another runner out of the race.

"When the fall happened I was fourth at that point," said Reid, who’ll also race the 100 dash on Sunday.  "I was running a really good race and I reacted quickly to the situation and was able to kick it really hard in those dying moments to get the bronze."

Earlier Tuesday, Reid took fifth spot in the long jump. She fouled out on five of her six attempts reaching 4.61 metres on her fifth try.

"The long jump was my main focus and I was gunning for the medal," said Reid.  "I was just too aggressive and was all over the place."

In the women’s discus final in the F35-36 cerebral palsy category Kris Vriend of Edmonton placed seventh.

Three Canadian wheelchair racers qualified for finals on Tuesday including 2004 quintuple Paralympic champion Chantal Petitclerc of Montreal.  Petitclerc bettered her Paralympic record to 16.07 seconds in her opening heat in the women’s 100-mette wheelchair race in the T54 division to easily advance to the final

In the women’s T53 400-metre wheelchair race Ilana Duff of Saskatoon broke the Canadian record clocking 1:00.80 to advance to the final.

Brent Lakatos of Dorval, Que., was second in his qualifying heat in the men’s T53 400 wheelchair race to also advance to the final. Eric Gauthier of St-Faustin-Lac-Carré, Que., was sixth in his heat and eliminated.

In the men’s T54 400 wheelchair semis, Colin Mathieson of Winnipeg and Jean-Paul Compaore of Sherbrooke, Que., were sixth and eighth in their respective heats and eliminated.

For full results, athlete information and other information please visit www.athletics.ca/paralympics

-AC-

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