The World Para Athletics European Championships was a major success for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team. In particular, Scotland had seven Scots representing their country and each of them delivered a medal winning performance. Libby Clegg, who was nominated team captain, sadly had to withdraw due to an injury to her guide in the lead up to the event.
Dunbar athlete Lyle, who is coached by Jamie Bowie, stormed to her third successive European title in the women’s T35 100m.
‘My start was good,’ said 18-year-old Maria. ‘It is not the time I wanted but I have been really struggling this season [with mental health issues] so for me just to get there, run and cope with the occasion was the main thing.
‘People forget that it is a European Championships, it is a big deal for people like me. It is another learning step for Tokyo. It is not something you do often. I am pleased, it has been a great experience and I hope to learn from it.
‘It is good to show Para sport in Europe and how it is becoming very professional and how you can’t just rely on rankings, you have got to go out and do your best.’
Come Thursday and GB and NI secured gold and silver in both the men’s and women’s RR3 100m; RaceRunning – the new discipline to these championships.
After both setting world records in their classes in the morning’s heats, the women’s race was expected to be a competitive final and it certainly lived up to the billing.
Red Star athlete Dines was pushed all the way to the line by team-mate Kayleigh Haggo and stopped the clock in 19.00 (-0.7) – 0.13 seconds outside the world record she set in the heats.
‘Having the opportunity to compete on the world stage is incredibly important and I am delighted to be given the opportunity and win gold,’ said Hannah, who is coached by Janice Eaglesham.
‘I think I am going to have to train pretty hard to stop Kayleigh grabbing that off me.’
Silver medallist Haggo, who is coached by Janice Eaglesham and set a time of 19.46, said: ‘I can’t put into words how much I enjoyed it. I went out there to have fun and I certainly did that. Hannah and I train together so it’s really good having each other to push one another.’
The next race on the track also saw a British one-two as Gavin Drysdale surged to victory in the men’s equivalent, with Rafi Solaiman (Sheffield & Dearne) taking the silver medal, with the times 17.37 and 19.33 respectively. That was a world record for Gavin.
Drysdale, coached by Janice Eaglesham, said: ‘I felt like I had already won a gold medal just by being here so to win a real one is absolutely incredible.
‘It means the absolute world to me to be competing here in Berlin, I still can’t believe we are actually here, I am usually cheering everyone from my TV screen at home and now I am on the other side having just competed.
‘Race running is one of the very few sports I can do independently so to be given this opportunity to come and compete at a European Championships and something which I can participate in independently and, more importantly, something I love has just been totally surreal.’
On Wednesday, Ross Paterson had taken a silver medal in the T38 400m final with a solid run of 56.82 ensuring he reached the podium in second.
‘It is unbelievable,’ said Ross, who is coached by John Kinder. ‘Even just being here is brilliant so I am glad that I went out and put in a performance. I will come back next year even stronger. I knew what it would be like. It was a great race and hopefully I can come back stronger.’
Stef Reid finished fourth in her T64 200m final and has the long jump event to come on Sunday. Stef, coached by Aston Moore, clocked a time of 29.49.
Come Friday evening and it was silver for Butterfield in the Club Throw and Reid added a bronze in the long jump on Sunday – with Maria unfortunately having to pull out of her 200m race through injury.
For Jo Butterfield, who is coached by Phil Peat and Shona Malcolm, it was a return to the podium at the Championships, throwing a solid series, her best effort coming in round four, with a best of 21.53m. Zoia Ovsii (UKR) won the event in a world record of 24.31m.
‘It has been a tough year; I had surgery earlier in the year, so I am just very happy to be competing here,’ said Jo.
‘I would have liked to have thrown a little further, but it is pretty good to be out there.
‘I would have preferred the gold to be honest but wouldn’t we all. But getting a medal for the team is a big thing. Whatever happened on the day, I was still able to come out here and win a medal. It has been a rough year and a lot of rehab, I still have more to come. To take that silver medal is quite special.
‘I was perhaps a bit sluggish but I still lacking a bit of range so maybe that is why I felt like that. I was glad to get one really big throw out there where the speed was right but the others, I didn’t feel like that.
‘I have a lot of work to do over the winter to get stronger, but I look forward to doing that and coming back fighting in Dubai next year.’
Stef Reid, who is coached by Aston Moore, took to the long jump after competing earlier in the week over 200m. On the day, her 5.9m leap took bronze.
‘It was a historic moment; Marie-Amelie [Le Fur, France] set a fantastic world record so I am really happy for her, but I really wanted it to be me,’ said Stef.
‘We still have a lot of work to do so you have got to recognise that and take notes and see what they are doing and then you go back and make a plan ready for next year.
‘I think I will need more speed. I think I will need to change a few things about my equipment – I think that has become quite obvious. But I think we are still in the mix. This has left a lot of fire in my belly – I don’t like coming third.
‘It’s great to come away with hardware, it is a special thing and you should never discount it and you should always be grateful because often these events there are just seconds or centimetres between having something and having not.
‘Sport is tough, there are very fine lines and I think you should celebrate every time you do get something.’
Ross Paterson, who is coached by John Kinder, took fourth place in the men’s T38 200m final with a run of 24.96.
Scottish Disability Sport congratulates all the athletes and their coaches.