NEWCASTLE'S Anna Nicholson cut a frustrated figure after her first Paralympic final as she missed out on a medal in the F35 shot put final.
Nicholson, who combines her athletics career with a full-time job at Nissan's Sunderland car plant, threw a season’s best 8.03m, but finished 57cm off a medal in the pouring Tokyo rain.
The 25-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, is already turning her attentions to the next Paralympics in Paris in just three years’ time and admits she has things to work on after her maiden final.
“It was quite wet but I’m used to that from the North of England," said Nicholson. "It was a good competition and I was quite consistent with my series of throws. I’m slightly frustrated because I know I have so much more in me to be challenging for those medals.
“I wanted to come here and enjoy the experience. It is an honour to be a Paralympian and I will be aiming for Paris because I want to be winning a medal there.
“We have a World Championships in Japan next year, so hopefully I’ll be there and it will be a stepping board for 2024.
“It has been a brilliant to be part of Paralympics GB and see all the great performances across all sports. I just couldn’t wait to get my chance to compete out there.”
Elsewhere, Crook's Lyndon Longhorne continued his packed Tokyo schedule with 13th place in the 50m freestyle S4.
* Sainsbury’s is a proud supporter of ParalympicsGB and a champion of inclusive sport for all. Sainsbury’s commitment to helping customers to eat better has been at the heart of what we do since 1869. For more information on Sainsbury’s visit www.sainsburys.co.uk/ and https://paralympics.org.uk/
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