Australia's Freney wins fifth Paralympic gold

Australia's Jacqueline Freney won her fifth gold of the Games in the stand-out performance of the day, after a row involving sprinter Oscar Pistorius overshadowed the sporting action.

World record holder Freney, who has cerebral palsy, took gold in a new Paralympic best of 1min 9.39sec in the S7 100m freestyle to add to her titles in the S7 50m butterfly, S7 100m backstroke and SM7 200m individual medley.

Then with team-mates Ellie Cole, Madison Elliott and Katherine Downey, the 20-year-old added the women's 4x100m freestyle 34 points relay, making it a clean sweep for the Aussies after the men's team triumphed on Sunday.

In that race, Matthew Cowdrey bagged his 10th Paralympic title in a career spanning three Games, needing just one more gold to become his country's most successful Paralympian.

"It's absolutely incredible, I can't explain how happy I am," said Freney afterwards. "I've got eight events and my main one hasn't even started yet, so these are just bonuses to me. Icing on the cake."

Earlier Britain's swim queen Ellie Simmonds won the women's S6 200m individual medley in 3min 5.39sec, breaking the world record she set in qualifying and adding to her S6 400m freestyle title.

The teenager, who has a form of dwarfism, won the 400m and the 100m freestyle in Beijing four years ago at the age of just 13 and has become one of the faces of the London Games.

Poland's Natalia Partyka -- one of only two Paralympians to compete at this year's Olympics -- won gold for the third consecutive Games in the women's singles Class 10 table tennis.

"It has been a really good year for me, now I'm thinking about Rio (de Janeiro in 2016). To win a medal at the Olympics is now my dream. I want to achieve the same at the Olympics as I did at the Paralympics," she said.

Partyka, who was born without a right hand and forearm, beat China's Yang Qian 3-2, just weeks after she and Pistorius competed at the Olympics.

Pistorius dominated the headlines on Monday after he sensationally lost his T44 200m crown to Brazil's Alan Oliveira on Sunday but then claimed the length of his rivals' artificial running blades was unfair.

The 25-year-old South African, a double amputee since childhood, issued an apology about the timing of the comments, although not the substance.

"I do believe that there is an issue here and I welcome the opportunity to discuss with the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) but I accept that raising these concerns immediately as I stepped off the track was wrong," he said in a statement.

The IPC responded by saying the prostheses used by all eight runners in the final were legitimate and had not exceeded rules regarding length.

Nevertheless, they agreed to meet Pistorius to discuss his concerns.

The row erupted as 50 gold medals were on offer in seven sports on the fifth day of competition at the Games, which end on Sunday.

On the track, El Amin Chentouf of Morocco smashed the world best by more than 30sec in the T12 5,000m for visually impaired and blind athletes, finishing in 13min 53.77sec.

Kenya's Samwel Mushai Kimani, with guide runner James Boit, romped to a new world record of 3min 58.37 in the T11 1,500m, beating Brazil's Odair Santos, who was also inside his previous world best of 4min 03.66sec.

Wheelchair racer Ryan Martin of the United States added the T52 400m to his 100m title while Ireland's Michael McKillop outclassed the field to take the middle-distance double in the T37 1,500m for athletes with cerebral palsy.

The Northern Ireland-born 22-year-old, who had already successfully retained his 800m title from Beijing, had enough of a lead over Australia's Brad Scott and Mohammed Charmi of Tunisia to begin celebrating in the back straight.

Fiji and India also got in the medals, with Iliesa Delana, an amputee, winning gold in the men's F42 high jump, with Girisha Nagarajegowda Hosanagara winning silver.

China were way out in front in the overall medal table, crossing the 100 medal mark and nearing 50 golds, with Britain in second and Australia, Russia and Ukraine battling it out for third spot.

Loading...
  • Earthquake strikes Quezon; shocks felt in metro
    Earthquake strikes Quezon; shocks felt in metro

    A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck Quezon province at around 7 p.m. Wednesday, with shocks felt in many cities in Metro Manila. …

  • Huawei launches world's slimmest smartphone
    Huawei launches world's slimmest smartphone

    LONDON (Reuters) - China's Huawei unveiled its flagship smartphone, the Ascend P6, at its first standalone launch event on Tuesday, underlining its ambitions to compete with Apple and Samsung in the top tier of mobile technology. The company says the device, at 6.18 mm thick, is the world's slimmest. It has a 5 megapixel front-facing camera, designed for taking "selfies", or pictures of the owner to be shared on social media networks. The company picked the launch date - 6/18 (June 18) - to tie …

  • PH hailed for bringing sea disputes to UN
    PH hailed for bringing sea disputes to UN

    Manila, Philippines --- The Philippines received plaudits during the third annual conference on the South China Sea hosted recently by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC, for bringing its territorial dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea to a United Nations-backed tribunal. …

  • Sotto bats for battered husbands, but...
    Sotto bats for battered husbands, but...

    Manila, Philippines --- Who's afraid of their wives? …

  • Pinoys are world's top gin consumers

    Pinoys are the world’s top gin drinkers and the third rum consumers, a report from The Economist said, citing data from International Wine and Spirit Research. …

Editor’s note:Yahoo! Philippines encourages responsible comments that add dimension to the discussion. No bashing or hate speech, please. You can express your opinion without slamming others or making derogatory remarks.

Odd Stories

  • Paris tackles rudeness to tourists with new manual

    Paris tackles rudeness to tourists with new manual

    Reuters - 2 hours 49 minutes ago
    Paris tackles rudeness to tourists with new manual

    PARIS (Reuters) - One of the world's most visited cities but also famous for its rudeness, Paris has embarked on a campaign to improve its reputation and better cater to the needs of tourists. Waiters, taxi drivers and sales staff in the French capital all too often come off as impolite, unhelpful and unable to speak foreign languages say local tourism chiefs, who are handing out a manual with guidelines on better etiquette. ... …

  • Boston poised to begin condom giveaway in high schools

    Boston poised to begin condom giveaway in high schools

    Reuters - 2 hours 52 minutes ago
    Boston poised to begin condom giveaway in high schools

    By Stephanie Simon (Reuters) - Students at all Boston public high schools may soon be able to obtain free condoms at the front office - as long as they sit through a few minutes of counseling about safe sex - under a policy due to be voted on Wednesday by the school board. Condoms are already available in 19 high schools with on-site health centers. The policy, up for a vote by the Boston School Committee, would expand distribution to all 32 high schools in the system. Parents would have the …

  • 'Drunk' claims upset Ukraine parliament budget hearing

    'Drunk' claims upset Ukraine parliament budget hearing

    Reuters - Tue, Jun 18, 2013
    'Drunk' claims upset Ukraine parliament budget hearing

    KIEV (Reuters) - A parliamentary hearing on Ukraine's budget was suspended for several hours on Tuesday after opposition deputies alleged that a deputy finance minister presenting the budget report was drunk. Anatoly Myarkovsky, first deputy finance minister, spoke for 10 minutes on the government's budget performance in 2012. But when questions were invited, deputies from Ukraine's rowdy opposition called out "He's drunk". One shouted: "Anyone within five meters can tell he reeks like someone …

  • Mexican politicians: going to the dogs, er, cats?

    Mexican politicians: going to the dogs, er, cats?

    Reuters - Tue, Jun 18, 2013
    Mexican politicians: going to the dogs, er, cats?

    By Luc Cohen MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Fed up with politicians they call "rats," a group of friends in the eastern Mexican city of Xalapa have put forward their ideal candidate for mayor: a cat named Morris. Xalapa resident Sergio Chamorro, who adopted the cat in August, said the plan began as a joke between friends borne out of their frustration with the Veracruz state government over freedom of speech. "Fed up of voting for rats? Vote for a cat," reads one campaign poster featuring the black …

  • Royal baby to give almost $400 million bump to British economy

    Royal baby to give almost $400 million bump to British economy

    Reuters - Mon, Jun 17, 2013
    Royal baby to give almost $400 million bump to British economy

    By Belinda Goldsmith LONDON (Reuters) - From Union Jack booties to "Born to Rule" sleepwear, the British royal family has joined retailers in offering baby products to mark the arrival of the royal heir. Analysts estimate the baby fever could boost the economy by 240 million pounds ($380 million). A baby sleepsuit modeled on a guardsman's outfit is one of the gifts on sale at palace shops by the Royal Collection Trust, which uses all profits for the upkeep of the royal palaces. ... …

  • The theater odyssey of Nonon Padilla VERA Files - The Inbox

    By Pablo A. Tariman, VERA Files Everyone in the theater circuit agree that the Philstage Gawad Buhay life achievement award in theater for Felix “Nonon” Padilla was well-deserved. Padilla started in Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) in the company of … Continue reading → …

  • The near saint from an Igorot mission school VERA Files - The Inbox

    By Elizabeth Lolarga, VERA Files Photos from the book The Odyssey of an Igorot Mission Girl For a woman who formally entered school at age 10, Esperanza Daliwa Somebang of Nadatngan, Mountain Province, travelled far and wide, a great believer … Continue reading → …

  • The evolution of the Filipino teleserye VERA Files - The Inbox

    By Pablo A. Tariman, VERA Files Friday night last week, it seemed everyone who owns a TV set was glued on the final airing of the Channel 2 teleserye, “Ina, Kapatid, Anak” directed by Don M. Cuaresma and Jojo A. … Continue reading → …

  • Quezon City courts go digital; more transparent system seen VERA Files - The Inbox

    By Mikha Flores, VERA Files The Supreme Court launched on Friday an electronic filing system that will digitize judicial processes in trial courts in Quezon City. Dubbed as “eCourt”, the system uses case management software that will allow judges and … Continue reading → …

  • LGBT Pride Month—more than just about street parties VERA Files - The Inbox

    By Patrick King Pascual, VERA Files Festive street parties, parades and marches usually mark the annual celebration of Pride month in June by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community in the country and elsewhere. “But Pride Month is … Continue reading → …

POLL
Loading...
Poll Choice Options