Tokyo Paralympics: Charlotte Henshaw eclipses Emma Wiggs for KL2 kayak gold

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World KL2 200m canoe champion Charlotte Henshaw accomplished a full set of Paralympic medals after successful the battle of the Brits by powering to glory forward of defending title holder Emma Wiggs in Tokyo.

The 34-year-old former swimmer added KL2 kayak gold to SB6 breaststroke silver and bronze – claimed in London and Rio respectively – on one other magnificent morning for Nice Britain at Sea Forest Waterway.

Ex-sprinter Laura Sugar additionally claimed gold on Saturday, successful the ladies’s KL3 competitors, whereas there was VL3 bronze for Stuart Wooden within the males’s occasions.

Mansfield-born Henshaw has taken the game by storm since switching from the pool in early 2017 and continued her exceptional progress by finishing the 200m straight line in a private greatest time of fifty.760 seconds.

Teammate Wiggs was simply 0.649 secs off the tempo as her Rio crown handed into the arms of her compatriot.

“I didn’t swap sports activities to win a gold medal however I’d be mendacity if I stated I didn’t wish to full the set,” stated 34-year-old Henshaw, who had each legs amputated above the knee aged 18 months after she was born with bilateral tibial hypoplasis.

“It’s pretty with a bronze and a silver however it seems a lot better with one in every of every color.

“You all the time dream about it, you must in any other case you wouldn’t put your self via this. It was a cracking race and Emma is such a fearsome competitor, she’s received all the things. She by no means provides in.”

Henshaw known as time on her swimming profession, which started at Beijing 2008, after falling out of affection with coaching.

5 years in the past she had by no means sat in a kayak however swiftly developed a ardour for paracanoe as she looked for a option to delay her sporting profession.

Charlotte Henshaw, proper, who edged out defending title holder Emma Wiggs

(PA)

Her headline-grabbing efficiency got here simply 9 months since present process surgical procedure for endometriosis, a situation the place tissue just like the liner of the womb grows in different places, such because the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

“I knew I wasn’t performed being an athlete – I knew that I had untapped means,” she stated.

“I attempted a couple of sports activities however canoeing was the one I cherished proper from the get-go. I received in a ship in January 2017 and I’ve by no means regarded again. It was clearly the proper transfer.

“I used to be in hospital simply earlier than Christmas, so I missed a very good chunk of coaching over the winter.

“It was robust to say I’d have the surgical procedure in a Video games 12 months however it was what I wanted to do for my well being.”

With Henshaw already planning to have a good time with pizza and ice cream, teammate Sugar secured her personal place atop the rostrum.

The 30-year-old, who was born with talipes, or membership foot, had completed fifth in each the T44 100m and 200m athletics finals in Brazil 5 years in the past.

She outstripped these achievements on the water, crossing the road in a private better of 49.582 secs, 1.976 secs away from France’s Nelia Barbosa with German Felicia Laberer taking bronze.

Laura Sugar along with her canoeing gold

(PA)

“The racer in me comes out midway via the race, so I solely take into consideration nailing the beginning and it paid off,” stated Sugar, who was enticed into para sport after noticing discus thrower Dan Greaves had an analogous situation whereas watching London 2012.

“I’m simply glad it has all gone to plan.”

Video games debutant Wooden capped a momentous morning by clinching a podium place courtesy of ending his occasion in 52.760 secs – behind Australia’s gold-medal winner Curtis McGrath and Brazil’s Giovane Vieira De Paula.

“I used to be so certain that I’d misplaced it on the finish there – I used to be so nervous after which so unbelievably relieved when it got here up,” stated the 27-year-old.

In the meantime, 51-year-old Jeanette Chippington’s defence of her KL1  title led to disappointment as she didn’t progress from the heats.

Nice Britain’s paddlers depart the Japanese capital with a complete medal haul of seven after Friday introduced gold for Wiggs and bronze for Chippington within the inaugural VL2 va’a, plus Robert Oliver’s third place within the KL3.

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