PARALYMPICS: Agony for Chepstow sprinter Jenny as 200m final proves a race too far (From South Wales Argus)

PARALYMPICS: Agony for Chepstow sprinter Jenny as 200m final proves a race too far

9:46pm Wednesday 5th September 2012 in Sport

JENNY McLoughlin failed in her bid to win a second athletics medal at the Paralympics tonight.

The 20-year-old from Chepstow had set a 29.73 second personal best in qualifying for the 200m final.

And she was hopeful of repeating or improving the silver medal she won in the T37 classification at last year’s World Championships in New Zealand.

But Namibia’s Johanna Benson powered to victory in a new African record while British team-mate Bethany Woodward, who rewrote the European record in qualifying, took silver and Germany’s Maria Seifert completed the podium.

McLoughlin came home fifth in 30.08 seconds as the exertions of the previous night, when she was part of Great Britain’s bronze medal winning 4x100m quartet, finally took their toll.

She left the track in tears, completing a rollercoaster and emotional 24 hours for the Cardiff-based athlete.

“I just wish I’d done that (her PB in the heats) in the final. It was a hard lane, but that’s just how it is," she said.

"I think if I’d been around other people I would have had a better chance, if I’d been in the mix.

“I thought I ran the bend well but my legs tightened up.

“I did feel tired today (after relay last night) and I am glad to come away with a medal, but I would have loved an individual medal, it just wasn’t meant to be.”
 

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