Tokyo Paralympics 2020

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    Game of Thrones actor and British Paralympian Krysten Coombs hopes to inspire like Peter Dinklage after bronze medal win

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    PART-TIME actor Krysten Coombs had a last-day starring role in Tokyo – to top his Game of Thrones cameo.The Brighton badminton ace was credited as an extra in the popular yet controversial TV series seven years ago.
    British Paralympic star Krysten Coombs won a bronze medal in the badminton singles SH6 eventCredit: PA
    Brighton native Coombs had a cameo role in season four of Game of Thrones
    Now he can add a Paralympic SH6 bronze to his CV after overcoming Brazilian Vitor Goncalves Tavares 2-1 at the Yoyogi National stadium.
    One of the star names on the show was Peter Dinklage, 52, the most recognisable dwarf in the world.
    In his season four cameo, Coombs – along with a group of others dwarfs – took part in a mock reenactment of the War of the Kings.
    The scene took place during King Joffrey’s wedding, who played the nephew of Dinklage’s character Tyrion.
    Coombs dressed up as Balon Greyjoy at Joffrey’s wedding to Margaery Tyrell where he rode a Kraken.
    Speaking of Dinklage, Coombs, 30, said: “I’d like to think that now I’m in the same position as him there.
    Coombs hopes to inspire kids with dwarfism just like actor Peter DinklageCredit: AP

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    “Hopefully I can inspire other kids with achondroplasia and other types of dwarfism at home.
    “Show them that there is a journey, there’s a life and you can be successful with it.
    “This is the pinnacle. I know I’m a fighter and a strong person.
    “I just dug in and thought I can do this and went for it.”

    In other news, former Paralympic champion Matt Skelton and Lorraine Lambert misfired as they failed to make the final of the R6 Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH1.
    Nevertheless, it was a brilliant Paralympic Games for Team GB as they finished second in the medal table behind China.
    The 226-strong Paralympics GB squad scooped 41 golds, 38 silvers and 45 bronzes.
    Paralympic legend Ellie Simmonds breaks down as she announces retirement aged 26 More

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      Paralympian Hannah Cockroft defies hand injury to win her seventh gold medal

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      WHEELCHAIR racing star Hannah Cockroft defied a cut hand to bag her seventh Paralympic gold medal yesterday.The 29-year-old helped Team GB win 11 medals on Day 11 of the Games.
      Hannah cut her right hand on her chair in heavy Tokyo rain less than an hour before defending her T34 800m crownCredit: AP
      She cut her right hand on her chair in heavy Tokyo rain less than an hour before defending her T34 800m crown.
      Yorkshire-born Hannah explained: “I put my hand through the wheel while the chair was moving. I’ve never done it before.
      “Wheelchairs and rain don’t mix. I slipped off the rim.
      “My hand went straight round. It’s pretty bloody but it’s fine.”

      Despite the cut, Hannah had vowed to compete in the race “even if my hand’s fallen off”.
      Brit Kare Adenegan claimed silver behind her.
      Team GB were yesterday second in the Paralympics with 122 medals.
      Maisie Summers-Newton beats Ellie Simmonds to win Paralympic swimming gold More

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      Watch heartwarming moment Paralympic guide proposes to blind athlete on track after race at Tokyo 2020

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      PARALYMPIAN Keula Nidreia Pereira Semedo narrowly missed out on the women’s 200m final in Tokyo.But the blind Cape Verdean’s despair turned to pure joy, after she was PROPOSED TO by her guide on the track.

      Manuel Antonio Vaz da Veiga got down on one kneeCredit: Reuters
      The happy couple embrace after getting hitchedCredit: Reuters
      Pereira Semedo, 32, had just completed her semi-final when running guide Manuel Antonio Vaz da Veiga came over to greet her.
      To her shock, Vaz da Veiga took her by the hand before brandishing a ring.
      He asked the runner to marry him while still surrounded by her fellow athletes.
      And to his relief, she said yes.
      Vaz da Veiga put the ring on her finger before the pair embraced, while being applauded by her colleagues.

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      Unfortunately, the Paralympics are taking place behind closed doors in Tokyo.
      But the smattering of officials, coaches and athletes in the stands gave the happy couple a standing ovation.

      Pereira Semedo’s Paralympic adventure may not have resulted in her bringing home a medal.
      But bringing home a fiance instead isn’t too bad a substitute.
      The happy couple were congratulated by her peersCredit: Reuters
      Pereira Semedo beams as she exits the trackCredit: Reuters
      Neil Fachie says it’s a moment they will never forget as both himself and wife Lora Fachie win gold at the Paralympics More

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      Who is Paralympian Aled Davies and is he married?

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      PARALYMPIAN Aled Davies may have a gold medal under his belt but he is now set to face his toughest challenge yet.The athlete is taking on Celebrity SAS, which aims to push stars to their absolute limit.
      Aled Davies is a a Paralympic heroCredit: PA
      Who is Paralympian Aled Davies?
      Aled Siôn Davies MBE was born on May 24, 1991, and is a Welsh Paralympian athlete competing mainly in category F42 throwing events.
      In 2012 he became the world record holder of the F42 shot put – and extended his mark in the 2017 World Championships in London.
      Aled also competes in the F42 discus.
      F42 classification means he competes in field events – hence F – with the 42 denoting athletes competing without prosthesis who have lower limbs affected by limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement.
      Aled was born with hemimelia of the right leg.
      In 2021, Aled took on the challenge of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
      Aled is taking part in Celebrity SASCredit: Pete Dadds/Channel 4
      When did Aled win a gold medal in the Paralympics?
      Aled was the golden boy of the London Paralympics.
      In the 2012 games he took the bronze medal in shot put and gold in the discus.

      In the Rio Paralympics, Aled won a gold medal in the F42 shot put, beating his nearest rivals by over a metre with a new Paralympic record of 15.97m.
      At the London 2017 World Champs, he broke his own world record with a mark of 17.52 in the shot put, while in the discus he threw a new championship record of 51.54m.
      Aled is at Tokyo 2020 looking to get his fourth Paralympic medal.
      His amazing contribution to sport saw him get an MBE in the Queen’s 2013 Honours List.
      Is Aled married and does he have kids?
      Aled is very private about his personal life.
      It is not known if the athlete is married or has any children.
      Lauren Steadman and DJ Locksmith are crowned as co-winner of Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS- Who Dares Wins  More

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      Who is Paralympic gold medallist Jonnie Peacock?

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      SPRINT king Jonnie Peacock won Paralympic gold medals at both London 2012 and Rio 2016.The sprinter is gunning for a third at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
      Jonnie Peacock delighted the London crowds when he won Olympic gold at the 2012 GamesCredit: Getty Images
      Who is Jonnie Peacock?
      Jonnie Peacock was born in Cambridge on May 28, 1993.
      At the age of five he contracted meningitis, which led to him having his right leg amputated below the knee.
      He originally wanted to play football, but his athletics prowess was soon discovered during his time at school.
      He was appointed an MBE in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to athletics – and was strutting his stuff on the Strictly 2017 dancefloor until leaving the show in week nine.
      Jonnie was partnered with Oti Mabuse on the show and impressed the judges with his jive on a specially made blade.
      In August 2021, Jonnie made a guest appearance in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks.
      He was brought in to give advice to character Sid, who had his leg amputated after a car crash in 2020.

      Peacock has become a hugely popular figure in the world of athletics, competing in the 100mCredit: Getty Images
      How has Jonnie Peacock’s athletics career worked out?
      Jonnie set a new 100 metres world record in amputee sprinting in  June 2010 in the US when he ran an exceptional 10.85 seconds.
      He won Olympic gold for the first time in front of a home audience at the London 2012 Games, when he ran 10.90 secs in the 100m T44 final.

      Incredibly, the Cambridge runner then defended his Olympic crown by winning the 100m at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, even bettering his London time with 10.81secs.
      The following year he won gold in the T44 100 metres at the World Championships in London.
      Following his success, he was chosen as a presenter for the 2018 Winter Paralympics on Channel 4.
      Jonnie is part of the squad heading to Tokyo, looking to make it a hat-trick of golds.
      Ahead of the Games he said: “I don’t need to go and win another gold medal for my happiness.
      “I would like to, it would probably help – it would probably help the bank more than anything else to be honest – but yeah I’m just happy competing , training full time for a living now and getting enough to live off.
      “I’ll do whatever makes me happy, but that’s probably less work
      Jonnie Peacock and Oti Mabuse dance the Quickstep on Strictly Come Dancing More

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      Wheelchair racer David Weir returns to Paralympics after track retirement in 2016

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      WINNING another Paralympics medal after track retirement would count among David Weir’s “greatest achievements”.The returning South Londoner wheelchair racer quit the GB set-up after crashing in the men’s marathon on the final day of a personally disastrous Rio 2016 Games.
      David Weir has won six Paralympic gold medals on the track and road during 13 yearsCredit: Getty
      The South Londoner finished empty-handed after the Rio 2016 Olympics and quit the GB set-up temporarilyCredit: PA
      Fuming Weir claimed a coach – who is in Tokyo this month – “stabbed” him in the back and unfairly accused him of throwing the 4x400m relay during a nightmare time in Brazil.
      Yet despite being left empty-handed five years ago, the six-time Paralympic champion is glad he has made a high profile U-turn.
      And any form of success in Japan this week would be the crowning glory of a magnificent career.
      Weir, who won four golds at London 2012, told SunSport: “I’ve come here on a positive note that if I don’t even win a medal, it’s a massive achievement for me.
      “Before Rio, a lot of pressure was put on me because of what I did in London. I don’t think people, even myself, I really appreciated what I did in London.
      “But the pressure of delivering four gold medals took its toll.
      Weir has become a household name thanks to eight London Marathon victoriesCredit: Getty
      “Obviously, I’m here to win medals and that’s my gameplan in Tokyo.
      “But I wouldn’t be absolutely distraught if I don’t win a medal because these are my sixth Paralympics – and that’s a massive achievement for any athlete.
      “A medal will be an absolutely bonus in my career, even if I win a bronze medal, as it would be one of my best ever won.”
      Weir, who competes in the 1500m, 5,000m and marathon, said: “It would just be nice this time to finish some races! What happened in the marathon was so unlucky and I was so devastated that it had to finish like that.
      “I don’t want to finish my career and look back it was all doom and gloom in Rio.
      “I’d like to get through the whole week and make myself proud.
      I’ve come here on a positive note that if I don’t even win a medal, it’s a massive achievement for me.David Weir on Tokyo Paralympics
      “This might be my last big international race I ever do. That’s the mindset.
      “I feel comfortable in my own skin and racing chair. I could retire tomorrow if I wanted to.
      “The individual from Rio will be here. But we will stay out of each other’s way I suppose.”
      The 16th summer Paralympics start tomorrow and even at the age of 42, Weir has been posting personal bests following a track event in Switzerland in May.
      The Weirwolf, who became a household name during the summer of 2012, believes it is time that Paralympians receive the same prize money and commercial deals as their Olympic counterparts.
      Amputee sprinter Jonnie Peacock claimed last week a Paralympian might get £500 compared to the £30,000 top deals for Olympic stars.
      Weir said: “We need more athletes to speak out about this.
      “Prize money at major events is not equal pay even though we do the same distances like the marathon.

      “I want to fight for the next generation. I want the next generation of wheelchair racers to be household names.
      “I want them to be like a Mo Farah where they earn enough money where they can retire and not carry on until they are 40-odd.” More

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      Tokyo 2020 gold, silver and bronze Olympic medals made entirely from mobile phones and recycled electronics

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      TOKYO 2020 medallists will become the first in the history of the Olympics and Paralympics to win medals made out of recycled electrical goods.And the precious prizes have been crafted from more than SIX MILLION reused mobile phone parts.
      Nearly 80,000 tonnes of recycled electrical goods were used to make Tokyo 2020 Olympic medalsCredit: AFP
      The parts of more than six million used mobile phones were also used to make gold, silver and bronze medalsCredit: Getty
      The creation of the environmentally-friendly gold, silver and bronze awards are all part of an effort by organisers to make this year’s competition as eco-conscious as possible. 
      The opening ceremony for the Tokyo Games, which is this year’s biggest sporting event, takes place today. 
      It is the second time the capital city of Japan has hosted the Olympics with the first being back in 1964. 
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      It is reported a whopping 79,000 tonnes of small electrical goods – including 6.21million used phones – were reconstructed into medals ahead of the contest. 
      The items – which took two years to gather – have been turned into 5000 gold, silver and bronze medals. 
      And two-time Olympic decathlete champion Ashton Eaton, 33, is among the sports aces backing recycled goods being awarded to athletes. 
      The American, who is the heptathlon indoor world record holder, said: “I have always been a fan of people who do things differently – of those who try to move the needle in a positive way.
      “The weight of a medal around your neck is always a good weight,” 
      “And when an athlete at Tokyo wins a medal, the weight of it will not be from the gold, silver or bronze; it will be the weight of a nation.”
      Yuki Arata, the Tokyo Games director of sustainability added: “We hope that the approach we are taking for these Olympics, for example utilising timber to make benches for public facilities for local areas will remain in (people’s) minds as a good memory of these Olympics to be passed on to the next generation.”
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      Other recycled inventions include Olympic uniforms produced entirely from reused plastic bottles. 
      The iconic torch used to light the flame to mark the start of the Tokyo Games is among the items made from reused products. 
      The Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch has been crafted from recycled aluminium used for earthquake sheltersCredit: Alamy

      Aluminium waste from homes built as temporary shelters following a major earthquake in Japan in 2011 was used to construct the torch. 
      And competitors staying in the Athletes Village will be sleeping in recyclable cardboard beds.  
      At least 18,000 of these beds have been provided for athletes staying in the Village located at Tokyo Bay.
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      Australian basketball star Elizabeth Cambage pulls out of Tokyo Olympics over ‘terrifying’ coronavirus bubble in Japan

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      AUSTRALIAN basketball star Elizabeth Cambage has pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics over fears of living in a Covid-19 bubble.Several athletes have already withdrawn from the Games due to Covid concerns, with British tennis player Dan Evans testing positive for the virus.
      Elizabeth Cambage, 29, has pulled out of the Olympics due to mental health concernsCredit: Getty
      Tokyo’s 68,000-seater stadium, built for the Olympics, will be empty this summerCredit: EPA
      All athletes competing in the delayed Games will be forced to live in a bio-secure bubble in Tokyo until their participation ends.
      Social contact will be kept to a minimum during that time, with stars even being forced to eat alone.
      There are fears the strict environment will have a detrimental effect on the mental wellbeing of the athletes, with Cambage being the first to pull out.
      The 29-year-old said: “Anyone that knows me knows one of my biggest dreams is winning an Olympic gold medal with the Opals.
      “Every athlete competing in the Olympic games should be at their mental and physical peak, and at the moment, I’m a long way from where I want and need to be.
      “It’s no secret that in the past I’ve struggled with my mental health and recently I’ve been worried about heading into a ‘bubble’ Olympics.
      “No family. No friends. No fans. No support system outside of my team.
      “It’s honestly terrifying for me. The past month I have been having panic attacks, not sleeping and not eating.
      “Relying on daily medication to control my anxiety is not the place I want to be right now. Especially walking into competition on the world’s biggest sporting stage.
      “I know myself, and I know I can’t be the Liz everyone deserves to see compete for the Opals. Not right now at least.
      “I need to take care of myself mentally and physically.
      “It breaks my heart to announce I’m withdrawing from the Olympics, but I think it’s best for the Opals and myself.
      “I wish them nothing but the best of luck in Tokyo and I hop they go forth and win a gold medal.”
      The Olympics are due to begin on July 23 – despite several athletes pulling out of the Games due to Covid-related problems.

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      Tennis stars Evans, Alex de Minaur and Johanna Konta have all been forced to withdraw from the event due to a positive Covid test.
      And tennis icon Serena Williams has decided against competing, although she hasn’t clarified whether the pandemic is a reason for her decision.
      Covid cases in Tokyo have hit a six-month high and there are fears the Olympics could become a super spreader event.
      Fans will not be in attendance at the Games but thousands of people are still expected to flood in and out of Japan in the coming weeks.
      The lack of spectators has led to tennis star Nick Kyrgios withdrawing, claiming ‘it doesn’t sit right with me’ to play with no fans.
      The Olympic village in Tokyo is deserted ahead of the GamesCredit: AP
      British tennis star Dan Evans will miss the Olympics after contracting Covid-19Credit: Getty
      Man Utd hero Gary Neville pulls hamstring during race with Team GB’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics star Dina Asher-Smith More

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      Who is Blake Leeper and why is he being denied chance to run in Tokyo Olympics? Can he still race at Paralympics?

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      BLAKE LEEPER is has been denied the chance to run at the Tokyo Olympics after his carbon fibre blades were deemed to give him a “competitive advantage.”Leeper, 31, has made a series of bids to become Nike’s latest athletes to make Team USA’s squad for the Tokyo Games.
      Blake Leeper celebrates his Paralympic silver medal in the 400m at London 2012Credit: Getty
      Leeper had been hoping to compete in the Tokyo Olympics in the 400m or 4x400m relayCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Who is Blake Leeper?
      Blake Leeper is an American sprinter from Kingsport, Tennessee.
      Leeper was born without lower leg limbs from the knee downward and learned to walk on prosthetics since the age of nine months.
      He represented Team USA at the 2012 Paralympics in London where he clinched a silver medal in the T43 400 metres and bronze in the T43 200m.
      He did not compete at the 2016 Rio Paralympics because he was serving a year-long ban for a positive cocaine test.
      Leeper moved into full competition against Olympic athletes at the 2017 US Track & Field Championships in 2017, becoming the first double leg amputee to do so.
      It was at this event he broke Oscar Pistorious’ 400m world record of 45.25 seconds, knocking 0.14sec off the South African’s mark.
      Why has Blake Leeper been denied the chance to run at the Olympics?
      In 2020, Leeper’s legal team lost a Court of Arbitration for Sport bid to get him into the Tokyo Olympics.
      The CAS ruling said that his carbon fibre blades allowed him to run at a height “several inches taller” than if he were an able-bodied athlete.
      Leeper’s legal team said at the time that the verdict was “racially discriminatory.”
      In April 2021, World Athletics denied another final appeal for Leeper to compete in the one-lap event in Japan – should he have qualified at the US Olympic trials.
      World Athletics heard the arguments for Leeper’s inclusion in another hearing with their Mechanical Aids Review Panel.
      Chairman David Grace QC said: “World Athletics has satisfied its burden of proof on the balance of probabilities that the use of the mechanical aids by Blake Leeper in the form of passive-elastic carbon-fibre running specific prostheses (RSPs) that give him a leg length of 104 centimetres and a standing height of 184 centimetres provides Blake Leeper with an overall competitive advantage over an athlete not using such aids, with the result that the use by Blake Leeper of such RPSs in any World Athletics sanctioned events is not allowed pursuant to Rule 6.3.4 of the Technical Rules of World Athletics.”
      The statement continued: “The decision means Mr Leeper cannot compete wearing these new RSPs at World Athletics’ major international events (WAS Events) or the Olympic Games but can in other International Competitions although his results will be listed separately and not recognised.”
      Blake Leeper won a silver medal behind Oscar Pistorious at the London 2012 ParalympicsCredit: Getty
      Why is their verdict controversial?
      World Athletics uses a measurement called Maximum Allowable Standing Height (MASH) to determine whether an para-athlete’s prosthetic blades are of a fair length.
      That ‘fair length’ is based on a series of studies conducted across the world, saying it is “based on the best available evidence of body dimensions.”
      Leeper’s lawyer Jeffrey Kessler claimed that these measures are racially discriminatory.

      He said: “Data from black athletes were not even considered in these studies, as if these athletes did not exist.
      “It is ironic that Blake Leeper, who has been fighting for the rights of disabled athletes of every race, now finds himself the victim of discrimination against black disabled athletes.
      “We do not believe the courts will tolerate such discriminatory treatment and we will support Blake as he continues his fight to compete in the Olympics.” More