PARALYMPICS /
Newsmakers
Crown after collision
By Lei Lei
China Daily Staff Writer
Updated: 2008-09-09 09:58
Right place. Right time. Right move.
That about sums up Canadian Diane Roy's crowning moment in a close race in the women's 5,000m T54 on Monday.
With all the 11 finalists starting the race neck and neck, the spectators were holding their breath in the first long-distance Paralympic final at the Bird's Nest.
In the penultimate of the 12.5 laps, a collision led to six athletes withdrawing early.
"I was just there in the right place at the right time. I made a good move in the last two laps, just before the crash I just moved outside," said Roy, who finished fourth in the event at the 2004 Athens Games. "I think it was the best thing I did because if I stayed behind, I would have been in the crash."
And after winning, the 37-year-old was matter-of-fact: "I'm just feeling very well. This is my first race here. I'm very satisfied and happy with it."
Briton Shelly Woods took the silver, followed by Amanda McGrory of the US.
Roy picked up wheelchair racing after an accident when she was 17.
"I like to do a lot of races. I feel good with that," she said. "I like the competition and I like the sport. I did sport when I was young. So after the accident, I decided to try wheelchair racing. I love it."
Roy still has four more events to compete at the Beijing Games -- 400m, 800m, 1,500m, 4x100m relay and the marathon in which she is tipped for gold in the middle distance events and the marathon.