Long-jumper Vanessa Low has set her sights on cracking the six-metre mark after claiming a third-straight Paralympic gold as Australian team captain Angie Ballard whacked the organisation of the Paris Games.
On her first jump at the Stade de France on Thursday, Low (T61), set a new world record of 5.45m.
Her closest competitor – silver medallist Martina Carboni – jumped just 5.06m, further solidifying 34-year-old Low’s dominance across the sport.
But despite winning three consecutive golds while representing both Germany and Australia, Low said she wants to keep driving for more.
“I love putting myself on the big stage, and I think I can jump six metres,” she said.
“I think this is my next big goal, six is possible, I want to break down barriers.
“When I first picked up the sport we were at 4.5m and now we are all pushing boundaries.”
The long-jumper, who returned to first spot on the podium after giving birth to son Matteo in June 2022, added: “When I went to bed last night, I had a feeling I was going to open up big.”
Low’s was one of three Australian gold medals on day seven.
Lauren Parker won the H1-4 road race road race and swimmer Timothy Hodge finished first in the S9 200m individual medley.
Hodge, who lost his right foot as a child, once told his parents he wouldn’t be good at anything.
After he played his part in Australia’s 34 point 100m relay gold medal win, he now has two golds from Paris
“When I told that to my parents they were adamant, no, we’ll find something that I was good at,” said Hodge.
“It was something they worked their whole lives to give me the best opportunities and find what I was good at.
“I am extremely proud to say that all the hard times and everything was worth it.”
Amid the success of Low, Parker and Hodge, Australian wheelchair racer Ballard was putting competition organisers on notice with a view to Brisbane hosting the 2032 Paralympics.
Ballard, who has amassed eight medals across seventh Games, finished sixth in her T53 400m race.
But Ballard was left frustrated by Paris 2024 bosses for failing to consider the needs of para-athletes.
The Australian team co-captain revealed in the build-up to the 400m race on Thursday wheelchair athletes were only given three lanes to conduct warm-ups.
“We’re here to perform out there, not show you how we can survive that challenge,” Ballard said.
Ballard, who raced in lane nine, had to completely reset her steering in the frantic moments leading into her race because the angles didn’t match the practice track.
Wheelchair athletes have pointed out throughout the Games that the stadium design at several venues – most notably the narrow corridors of the Stade de France – are challenging to navigate.
“You don’t have to add on afterwards… (so) I don’t have to do 57 right hand turns through here (the media zone), which is not good for me,” Ballard said.
“I don’t have to go over crappy surfaces with my very expensive tires that could pop at any moment.
“There’s all these things that, if you designed (with para-athletes) in mind from the get-go, then everyone’s able to perform at their best.”
#claims #long #jump #gold #Ballard #attack
