Mali Lovell Paralympics: Overview of Athletes’ Performances

Mali Lovell Paralympics Highlights

Ballarat's Alana Forster has just missed out on a medal in her first event at the mali lovell paralympics, finishing fifth in the C5 3000m Individual Pursuit. Forster completed the course in a time of 3 minutes 41.497 seconds, with an average speed of 48.759km/h to finish just outside the medal races. It was an all France final for gold with Marie Patouillet holding off compatriot Heidi Gaugainto to take the title with a victory by just over two seconds.

New Zealand's Nicole Murray was a strong winner of the bronze medal final, her time of 3.36.206 in her race actually quicker than the silver medal finals ride. There's still plenty of opportunities for 38-year-old Forster to pick up a medal however with the women's C5 individual time trial and the women's C4-5 road race still to come on her big program. The C5 individual time trial will be held on September 4 at 4pm Ballarat time while the women's C4-5 road race is on September 6 from 5.30pm.

Sam Rizzo's Paralympic Campaign

Meanwhile, Buninyong's Sam Rizzo has opened his Paralympic campaign with a sixth placing in the heat of the T54 5000m, just missing out on qualifying for the final. Rizzo completed the course in 11.19.32. He was unlucky to draw the fastest heat with both Marcel Hug of Switzerland and Brent Lakatos of Canada breaking away from the rest of the pack to duel it out over the final laps, with the pair finishing more than 40 seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

Rizzo, like Forster, still has a big program ahead of him with both the T54 800m and 1500m still coming up. The heats of the 1500m were due to be held early Tuesday morning Australian time with the final set for 3am on Wednesday morning. The heats of the 800m will be held on Thursday at 8pm with the final scheduled for Friday morning at 3am.