Spirit and success go hand in hand

Saturday 8 September 2012

it's not all about winning.

Karen Darke, right, held British team-mate and training partner Rachel Morris's hand as they crossed the finish line together yesterday. Picture: PA

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James Toney

Karen Darke claimed that the feeling she got from her fourth-place finish outweighed the one she would have got had a medal been placed around her neck, after finishing yesterday's Paralympic hand cycling road race while holding the hand of Team GB team-mate Rachel Morris. The pair were to contest a sprint finish at the end of the race but neither wanted to take the initiative and instead crossed the finish line together.

It was a decision which would ultimately cost Aberdeen's Darke – a silver medallist in the time trial – her second medal as the photo-finish gave Morris third place. Yet the 41-year-old had no sense of regret, claiming Beijing gold medallist and training partner Morris – whose participation in the Games was in doubt after a recent training accident – deserved her success."I'm delighted for Rachel," said Darke. "I got a medal the other day so now we both have something to celebrate. We've worked so hard together over the last few years we couldn't bear the thought of pipping each other to the line. It wasn't that one of us was stronger than the other, so we just thought 'let's do it, let's grab our hands at 50m and go'."We crossed the line together but Rachel was awarded bronze after the photo finish and that is the way it has gone. I'm not too disappointed."The Scot has helped Morris return to action after she suffered whiplash and shoulder injuries when she was hit by a car during a time trial race in Hampshire. "Going into the last lap we realised we had a comfortable gap between us and the next lot," said Morris."It's been quite emotional in the last few weeks and this year has been a bit tough and Karen has been amazing. To go across the line together felt really right. They have awarded two medals in some of the other events so it was a bit of a shame. We worked as a team on that track, having two riders out there is what got us away."There was more personal success for the British team in the swimming events, Andrew Mullen setting a new British record in qualifying for the 50m butterfly. The 15-year-old finished just outside the medals in fourth.Mullen clocked 39.71 seconds to progress as fourth quickest but slowed in the final, which was won by Brazil's Daniel Dias, who claimed his fifth gold medal of the Games."Overall I'm pleased with the swim, it's my second fastest time ever and I executed my race plan really well," said Mullen, who also finished fourth in the 50m backstroke and made the final of the 50m freestyle. "It's been an amazing experience. I learned how to cope with nerves and cope with a big crowd and not let it bother me."In four years I'll be bigger and stronger and I'm sure I will be able to catch them then. I was really pleased to swim a big personal best in the heats and make the final and to finish, I can't have any complaints."Meanwhile, James Clegg conceded the chance to compete in last night's 50m freestyle was a bonus, after the 18-year-old touched in sixth place in 25.20 to bring the curtain down on his Paralympic campaign."It was an amazing swim – it was very fast, it felt fast as well," he said. "I didn't expect to be in that final, it was just a bonus really and I was pretty close to not being in it after the heat this morning so I'm just happy to finish it to be honest. "I'm delighted with the Games as a whole, it has been an amazing week. I really relish the next four years now and hopefully I can catch these guys up." While that pair were looking optimistically to the future one veteran of the Games was left with disappointment to ponder. Six-time Paralympic champion and 17-time medallist Jim Anderson saw his bid to add to his tally at London 2012 falter as the 43-year-old went out in the 50m freestyle heats, touching home in sixth place in 1:10.61 minutes. Josie Pearson was Britain's sole gold medallist yesterday. She claimed victory in the discus four years after representing Britain in the wheelchair rugby and nine years after a car crash claimed the life of her boyfriend.

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