4 Paralympics runners beat Olympic gold-medal time

Four athletes – including two brothers from Algeria – took part in the 1,500m T12/T13 final on Sunday.

They ran so fast that their times would have qualified them for an Olympic gold medal in the same event.

The quartet, who are visually impaired, all bettered the timing of Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz Jr of the US.

He clocked 3min 50sec to bag the gold last month in Rio de Janeiro.

Algeria’s Abdellatif Baka emerged victorious in an incredibly competitive final to win in a world-record time of 3min 48.29sec.

Tamiru Demisse of Ethiopia (3min 48.49sec) and Kenya’s Henry Kirwa (3min 49.59sec) finished second and third respectively.

Baka’s brother, Fouad, just missed out on a medal and had to settle for fourth with a time of 3min 49.84sec.

Rio Paralympic Games 2016 Opening Ceremony

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AFP

“It wasn’t easy to get this gold medal,” Abdellatif told the Paralympics’ official website after the race.

“I’ve been working one or two years non-stop and it’s been very, very hard for me.”

There are three classes for visually impaired runners – T11, T12 and T13.

The higher the number, the more severe the impairment.

The Rio Paralympics, which takes place a month after the Olympics, began on Sept 7 and will end this Sunday.

Singapore currently have two medals – a gold and a bronze – courtesy of swimmers Yip Pin Xiu and Theresa Goh.

Rio Paralympic Games 2016: Singapore’s Para-athletes

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AFP, Reuters, The Straits Times, MCCY, Singapore Sports Council

This article was first published on September 14, 2016.
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