Relay silver for NSWIS track trio after DQ overturned, road cycling & equestrian results

Just hours after they were sensationally disqualified from the final of the T54 women’s 4x400m event the Australian team – led by NSWIS wheelchair racers Angie Ballard, Madison de Rozario and Christie Dawes – have been reinstated and awarded the silver medal.

The NSWIS trio and Australian teammate Jemima Moore crossed the line in their day 8 final at the Olympic Stadium in Rio behind China and the USA thinking they had taken the bronze medal.

But on the way to the medal ceremony they were informed they had been disqualified for straying out of their lane. Turkey was also disqualified for a separate indiscretion.

The IPC (International Paralympic Committee) Athletics is the governing body for the Paralympic track and field competition and set up a hearing panel as the Australian Team Leader Andrew Faichney lodged an official protest.

The Australians alleged one of their racers had been forced off their path by an American competitor.

After an hour the IPC panel upheld the Australian’s appeal and disqualified the USA team for interference. The Australians were reinstated with the silver medal.

But then further drama ensued as the USA lodged a counter protest. Due to the lateness of the hour at the Olympic Stadium track, and out of respect to winners China who were still waiting in the ceremony room, the IPC postponed the second hearing until Friday morning.

Once that decision was made, the medallists were confirmed and the medal ceremony took place with just two medallists – China and the Australians.

Dawes said that when she and Moore tried to change, an American athlete was impeding their progress.

“We were DQed and have appealed and are awaiting the result. We have been reinstated but now the Americans have appealed which is their right,” Dawes told the Australian Paralympic Committee’s media team before the second protest hearing had taken place.

“It is very frustrating to know that we were impeded and to have technical officials not pick that up is really unfortunate and disappointing.”

Meanwhile fellow NSWIS athlete Rosemary Little has finished fourth in the women’s T34 800m final.

Little clocked 2:04.10 to finish behind Great Britain’s Hannah Cockroft (2:00.62), American Alexa Halko (2:02.08) and a second Brit, Kare Adenegan (2:02.47).

It was the end of a very consistent week for Little who earlier had finished fourth to the same trio in the 400m and fifth in the 100m.

Road cycling

In road cycling, NSWIS pair Simone Kennedy (C3) and Amanda Reid (C2) contested the combined C1-2-3 road race over 47 kilometres.

C2 class Reid was a silver medallist on the track in the 500 metre time trial and was off the pace over the road distance crossing in 11^th, more than eight minutes behind the winner, American Jamie Whitmore. But the 19-year-old was thrilled to finish her first road race.

Kennedy (C3) was also happy with how she rode to place eighth after the disappointment of pulling her foot and missing the medals in her target event, the individual pursuit on the track.

“It’s definitely been up and down,” said the 22-year-old of her Rio campaign when talking to the Australian Paralympic Committee’s media team.

“It was pretty hard but you’ve got to remember life goes on and there is nothing I could do about it.

“It wasn’t my fault and I just had to focus on the next event because I knew I had three more events to compete in and I had to concentrate on that.

“I’m happy with how I went and today extremely happy because to be thirty-five seconds behind the winner is the closest I ever came to the American girl in the C3 class.

“Best international race of my career so far.”

Equestrian

In the equestrian arena NSWIS rider Lisa Martin was one place outside the medals for the second time in three days.

Martin was fourth in the individual freestyle test (grade IV) just days after placing fourth in the individual championship test (grade IV).