Triple treat of bronzed Aussies

Three NSWIS athletes won bronze medals on day three of the 2012 Paralympic Games to take the NSWIS medal tally to two gold, one silver and seven bronze medals.

Cyclist Jayme Paris was the first to bag bronze on day three with an outstanding performance in the women’s C1/2/3 500m time trial at the velodrome. Paris, a bronze medallist from Beijing in 2008, powered home to not only win her first medal at the 2012 Games, but set a new C1 class world record in the event. Fellow NSWIS cyclist Alexandra Green finished eighth in the women’s C4/5 500m time trial.

Paris’ feats on the bike were then complemented in the pool by fellow NSWIS athletes Matthew Levy and Prue Watt. Competing in the men’s SB7 100m breaststroke, Levy cruised through the heats before winning bronze in the final, just .58 seconds behind his Japanese competitor, while Watt, a two time Paralympian, won bronze in the women’s S13 50m freestyle, out-touched by 0.03 seconds for silver.

There were close calls for several other NSWIS athletes on day three of competition. Reagan Wickens finished fourth in the men’s S6 400m freestyle, despite setting a new Oceania record, while fellow swimmer and NSWIS athlete Tim Antalfy also set a new Oceania record in finishing fourth in the men’s S13 50m freestyle. Sean Russo finished 11th overall in that event, while Andrew Pasterfield placed seventh in the men’s S10 100m butterfly.

The Paralympic sailing regatta began on day three, with NSWIS sailors Liesl Tesch, Jonathan Harris and Stephen Churm all recording positive results. Tesch, a five time wheelchair basketball Paralympian competing at her first Games as a sailor in the SKUD 18 class, finished first and second in races one and two, respectively, while Harris and Churm combined with compatriot Colin Harrison to finish first and third in their first two races.

There were mixed fortunes in the men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball competitons, with the men’s team defeating Spain and the women’s team suffering a seven point loss to Canada, however it was success all round for wheelchair tennis players Adam Kellerman and Ben Weekes as they recorded first round victories in the men’s singles.

Finally, to wrap day three, rower Kathryn Ross powered through to the final of the mixed double scull event, while Richard Nicholson, who suffered a horrific crash only days ago during his training for the Games, finished 17th in the men’s T54 100m wheelchair track & road event.