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Fearnley misses final Paralympics gold, Australia fifth on medal tally

Kurt Fearnley has competed at five Paralympics and will race at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast next year.

Kurt Fearnley has competed at five Paralympics and will race at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast next year. Photo: Getty

Kurt Fearnley just missed out on a fairy tale finish at the Rio Paralympics, while Australia won gold in the men’s rugby, snatching fifth spot for Australia on the medal tally.

Fearnley, a five-time Australian Paralympian, missed out on gold in his final Games wheelchair marathon by a single second, finishing with the silver behind Marcel Hug.

A five-metre gap separated Fearnley and a fourth career Paralympics gold in the men’s T54 class at Copacabana beach on Monday (AEST).

The veteran Fearnley was neck and neck with Hug until the final 20 metres when the Swiss broke the Australian to storm home.

“With 200m to go everything I had kind of stopped.”
Kurt Fearnley

It was the 35-year-old’s fourth straight medal at a Paralympic marathon, which he chalks up to hard work and his quirky pre-competition routine.

“That’s worked with me, with the lucky jocks for 16 years. Hopefully I’ll be racing for another 60,” he said.

“I’ll race marathons for as long as my body can.”

Fearnley says he will contest the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and aims to extend his reign on the major international marathon circuit.

Six athletes did not finish the gruelling 42.6km course in Rio’s sizzling conditions, including six-time Paralympics champion David Weir, of Great Britain, who dropped out early after a clash of chairs.

Fearnley, who has crawled the 96km Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea and sailed in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, agreed it was a brutal race, but says that is where he thrives.

“One of my biggest strengths is that I deal with discomfort better than most,” he said.

Having his family cheer him on helped, with Fearnley’s wife Sheridan bringing their two-year-old son Harry to watch for the first time.

“It’s a day that he may never remember but it’s a day I won’t forget,” he said.

 

Steelers take gold in overtime thriller

rio paralympics 2016

Australia celebrates winning the Men’s Wheelchair Rugby Gold Medal match against the United States. Photo: Getty

Meanwhile, Australia won the gold in the rugby after defeating United States 59-58 in overtime in a thrilling final.

Ryley Batt said winning back-to-back Paralympics titles in men’s wheelchair rugby tops anything he has ever experienced – including his wedding day.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in my life,” he said.

“I really shouldn’t say that, because I’m married, and the wedding day is meant to be the best day of your life. But I think the missus would agree.”

Batt helped the Steelers extend their golden reign in Rio, beating the US by a single point in a nail-biting double overtime thriller on Monday.

It was the first time the reigning Paralympics and world champions had defeated their US rivals in a major competition.

They also became the first team in history to win consecutive Paralympics and world championship titles in a four-year period.

Batt scored a stunning 27 goals but says he could not hear the crowd roaring for him.

“You get in the zone, it’s just white-line fever, you don’t hear anything, it’s just a noise in the background,” he said.

“But, I need some food, I need a beer, I need a glass of water.”

With Australia holding a two-goal lead deep into the fourth quarter, the Steelers made a couple of costly errors, which the Americans pounced on, forcing the decider into overtime.

It was goal for goal in overtime and with 1.4 seconds to go the Steelers drew level to force a second overtime.

A huge defensive effort from the Steelers with 15 seconds to go in the second overtime ensured the US were not able to equalise and the Australians grabbed the gold.

The triumph left Australia with 22 gold from its Rio campaign, with 30 silver and 29 bronze medals also part of the overall tally. Australia finished fifth on the medal count.

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