GB one-two as Cockroft leads Kare Adenegan in the T34 women’s 100m final in Tokyo
The Hurricane lived up to her name on Sunday (Aug 29) in Tokyo. Hannah Cockroft not only won her sixth Paralympics title in the women’s T34 100m but she improved her own world record to 16.39 (0.3) and led a British one-two as Kare Adenegan took silver.
Cockroft has now won this event at the last three Paralympic Games and her victory was never in doubt here as she took 18 hundredths of a second off her world record to beat Adenegan’s 17.03.
Australia’s Robyn Lambird took bronze as Britain’s Fabienne Andre came in fifth.
“I am relieved, excited, I’ve already cried and I’m not a crier, I can’t believe it,” said Cockroft, whose next event at these Games is the 800m.
“There has been so much pressure and insecurity around this whole Games. It was on, it was off, it was back on. Family can come, they can’t come.
Hurricane Hannah blows away her rivals! ?
A third successive Paralympic T34 100m GOLD and a WORLD RECORD for @HCDream2012
Team-mate @AdeneganK takes silver ?#Tokyo2020 #Paralympics pic.twitter.com/qNS3Lp4LVi
— C4 Paralympics (@C4Paralympics) August 29, 2021
“To finally be here, get out there and put that time down is amazing. I did not think that time was something I was capable of.
“I’ve been to the last two Games and won five golds, so anything less than gold wouldn’t be enough, I wouldn’t be satisfied. I’m 29 now so I haven’t got many of these left.”
Adenegan said: “The last few weeks have been really difficult and I’ve been questioning where I am at. So, to post a season best and be close to sub-17 again, I’m really happy with it.
“My start was really good. I was surprised how far ahead I was at the start. I know Hannah’s top speed is quicker than mine so I knew she might go past me.”
The success adds to the T38 100m golds won by Sophie Hahn and Thomas Young on Saturday plus the T35 100m bronze by Maria Lyle.