Rio Recap: Gold at last for Hug, Brazil into final

Omnisports

September 15, 2016 9:46 AM

Marcel Hug finally ended his long wait for a Paralympic gold medal, while Brazil moved into a football final at Rio 2016.

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HUG GRABS GOLD

Hug's wait for Games gold finally came to an end as he took out the men's 800-metre T54 final at the Olympic Stadium.

A seven-time world champion who had won numerous Paralympic silver and bronze medals, Hug had never previously clinched Olympic gold.

But he changed that on Thursday by taking out the 800m ahead of Saichon Konjen and South Korean Kim Gyu-dae.

Hug finished with a time of one minute, 33.76 seconds to beat Konjen (1:34.74) and Kim (1:34.98).

Champion from London 2012, David Weir, announced his impending retirement after finishing sixth.

JEFINHO LEADS BRAZIL

Hosts Brazil moved into the five-a-side men's football final with a 2-1 win over China.

Jefinho scored a brace for Brazil after Wang Yafeng had put China ahead at the Olympic Tennis Centre.

Brazil ended their long wait for an Olympic football gold thanks to Neymar last month, and they could win again at the Paralympics.

Awaiting them in the final are Iran, who edged Argentina 2-1 on penalties after a 0-0 draw.

QUOTES OF THE DAY

"I still can't believe it, I can't say how happy I am. I'm really, really, really happy.

"I think it's one of the greatest performances ever in Paralympic history. To be the first man to lift over 300kg is a significant achievement. It is probably equivalent to the first male going under 10 seconds in the 100m. That is the scale of the achievement. It was the equivalent of lifting a sedated Siberian tiger," International Paralympic Committee (IPC) media and communications director Craig Spence hails the record-breaking powerlifting triumph Siamand Rahman produced on Wednesday.

"Neymar is the best Brazilian player so I am very happy because it means that I am doing a good job here," Jefinho comments on supporters reportedly singing: "Jefinho is better than Neymar" during Thursday's win.

COMING UP

Brit 'Hurricane Hannah' Cockroft will be out to complete her triple-gold bid with a win in the women's 800m T34 final. Belarusian visually-impaired star Ihar Boki, meanwhile, goes for gold in the 100m freestyle S13. He is a six-time Paralympic gold medallist.

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