A brace of bronzes for Rushgrove and Blake at London 2012
It was another sparkling night in the Olympic Stadium for University of Bath based athletes at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, with Ben Rushgrove and Paul Blake both winning bronzes.
Rushgrove, a University of Bath Sports Performance graduate, ran a fantastic bend to take bronze in the T36 200m final, in a personal best of 24.83 seconds. He adds today’s bronze to the silver he won over 100m four years ago in Beijing.
“Now I’ve got my medal I can go out and celebrate what is an amazing achievement. I’m hugely privileged to have the opportunities I’ve had to pursue my dreams and see what comes of them,” said Rushgrove.
“When you win your first Paralympic medal you enter quite an elite club of people already, but when you win two medals, that’s fantastic,” he added.
And Blake, making his Paralympic Games debut at London 2012, followed up his T36 400m silver medal two nights ago by winning bronze in the 800m.
He came home in 2:08.24 – a time that would have earned him gold in Beijing four years ago.
He said: “I’m really happy with a silver and a bronze. I’m just trying to get better and better and I’ve got plenty of time to improve.
“It’s an honour to put the GB vest on every time, I’m really really proud, and to come away from here with a medal has just topped it off really.”
And there was also a second final on her Paralympic Games debut for 16-year-old Sophie Kamlish. She ran a personal best of 29.06 to finish sixth in the T44 200m.
The trio are all coached at the University of Bath by Rob Ellchuk.
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