Christiansen claims equestrian glory on golden day for Britain at Paralympics

13 April 2012

The equestrian team won their fourth title of the Paralympics as Great Britain collected their fifth gold of the day to take their Games total to 26.

Shooter Matt Skelhon, rowers Helene Raynsford and Tom Aggar and swimmer David
Roberts all finished top of the podium before Sophie Christiansen won equestrian
gold in Hong Kong.

The 20-year-old from Sunningdale, Berkshire, won the grade Ia individual freestyle test with a score of 76.166, putting her ahead of British team-mate Anne Dunham who landed silver.

Sophie Christiansen won gold for Britain in Hong Kong

Sophie Christiansen won gold for Britain in Hong Kong


Dunham had won gold with Christiansen taking silver in the grade Ia individual championship test on day three.

Christiansen and Dunham won golds as part of the team test and both now have
two first-placed finishes and a second.

The day's highlight came at the National Aquatics Centre when Roberts claimed his 10th Paralympic gold medal with victory in the men's S7 400metres freestyle.

Roberts' third victory of his third Games came minutes after Britain had won the first two Paralympic rowing finals in history through Raynsford and Aggar.

Twenty-eight-year-old Roberts from Pontypridd, who has cerebral palsy, clocked four minutes 52.35 seconds to triumph.

Roberts led from start to finish to break the Paralympic record - set eight years ago in Sydney by New Zealand's Dean Booth - by 1.4secs.

Tom Aggar celebrates after winning the Rowing Men's Single Sculls Final

Tom Aggar celebrates after winning the Rowing Men's Single Sculls Final

American Lantz Lamback was second, 4.11secs behind Roberts, and Australia's Jay
Dohnt was third.

'It was a race I was always in control of - I knew after 50 (metres) I'd won,' said Roberts.

'It's kind of a surreal feeling in a Paralympic final to know with seven lengths to go nobody was coming past me.'

Yet the Welshman felt there was more to come and was disappointed not to break
his own world record of 4mins 49.12sec, set in Sheffield in April but yet to be ratified by the International Paralympic Committee, who list Booth's time as the world's best.

Helene Raynsford is all smiles after winning the Rowing Women's Single Sculls Final in Beijing

Helene Raynsford is all smiles after winning the Rowing Women's Single Sculls Final in Beijing

'It wasn't what I expect of myself - I expect better than that,' he added.

Cowdenbeath's Andrew Lindsay was fifth in 5:02.74, while Sam Hynd, Heather Frederiksen and Louise Watkin each won bronze in their respective individual medleys.

Skelhon won Britain's first title of the day with victory in the mixed R3 10 metres air rifle prone with a score of 704.9, 0.5 ahead of China's silver medallist Zhang Cuiping.

Skelhon, from Peterborough, and Zhang equalled the world record in qualifying for the final with maximum scores of 600.

But the 23-year-old Brit, who only made his international debut last year, held the edge throughout the 10-shot final - albeit by fractions after both he and Zhang shot 10 successive 10s for the seventh time - securing victory with a final effort of 10.3.

However, he believes he under-performed.

'I am satisfied with 704.9, although I could have done better,' said Skelhon.

Raynsford became the first ever Paralympic rowing gold medallist with an emphatic victory in the women's single sculls.

The 28-year-old completed the 1000-metre race at Shunyi Olympic Rowing Park in 6:12.93, 12.51secs clear of the field as rowing made its Paralympics debut.

'It is absolutely amazing,' said Raynsford. 'I knew if I could get out of the start as quick as I could and get into the lead I could do it.'

Raynsford's triumph was swiftly followed by success for Aggar.

The 24-year-old won the men's single sculls with a time of 5:22.09, nearly six seconds quicker than Ukrainian silver medallist Oleksandr Petrenko.

'To come out on top is a pretty indescribable feeling,' said Aggar.

Britain's mixed coxed four team won bronze in the final rowing final of the Games.

Vicki Hansford, Naomi Riches, Alastair McKean and James Morgan, with cox Alan Shermen, were third behind Italy.

Agony struck again for wheelchair racer David Weir after he finished with bronze in the men's T54 5,000m final - leaving Britain still seeking their first athletics gold at the Bird's Nest Stadium.

David Roberts on his way to victory in the Men's S7 400m Freestyle on another splendid day for Britain at the Paralympics

David Roberts on his way to victory in the Men's S7 400m Freestyle on another splendid day for Britain at the Paralympics

Weir was well-placed at the bell but, having been troubled with illness since Sunday, could not push forward and Thailand's Prawat Wahoram took gold in 10:22.38.

Australian Kurt Fearnley pipped Weir five metres from the line to claim silver, with the 29-year-old from Wallington, Surrey, finishing in 10:23.03.

The three-time Paralympian won silver and bronze in Athens and was second in the men's T54 400m on day four.

Weir, the 5,000m world record holder, paid tribute to Prawat, while questioning his own tactics.

'When Prawat's in front, that's when he races best,' said Weir.

'I didn't really want him to be in front and then I didn't want to go too early.

'Maybe I should have gone in front for a couple of laps and slowed the race down, but I got boxed in by Kurt (Fearnley).

'But the T54 men is the strongest category in Paralympic racing.'

Weir is still plagued by illness but hopes to claim the elusive gold in one of his three remaining events, the 800m, 1,500m or the marathon.

'I feel a bit flat - it's just the bug that's still inside me,' he said.

'It's draining my body but we'll wait and see, I'm not a quitter.'

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