PARALYMPICS / Spotlight

Canadian takes the mooncake
By Lei Lei
China Daily/The Paralympian Staff Writer
Updated: 2008-09-15 12:47

 

Canadian Chantal Petitclerc pulled off an amazing quadruple clean sweep of the track in Beijing by winning the women's 200m and 800m T54 races on Sunday.

Petitclerc has won all four events she has contested at her fifth Paralympics, winning the 400 and 100 titles before setting two world records in her latest victories and now looking to repeat her Athens performance with a fifth gold in the 1,500.

"It's been great," said the 38-year-old veteran on a day when host China celebrated the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival by winning six of a possible 18 gold medals.

"To smash the world record in the 200m was amazing. I'm just so proud that I did it -- it's magic.

In other action, China's Guo Wei claimed his third gold on home soil by winning the men's F35/36 shot put. Latvia's Edgar Bergs and Pawel Piotrowski from Poland finished second and third.

"It wasn't easy to get three gold medals again," said Guo, who also won three gold in Athens four years ago.

China's Mi Na claimed her second gold medal, in the women's F37/38 discus, during the morning session. Teammate Li Chunhua took bronze behind Australia's Amanda Fraser.

Mi's compatriot Tang Hongxia added one more gold for the host country by winning the women's shot put F12/13.

In track events, China's Zhang Lixin won the men's 200m T54, followed by Saichon Konjen of Thailand and Leo Pekka Tahti of Finland.

The Chinese men's 4x400m relay team claimed gold in T53/54, while Thailand and France finished second and third.

April Holmes of the US won the women's 100m T44, followed by Marie-Amelie le Fur of France and Wang Juan of China.

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