Summer Paralympics 2008
Weir won four medals two golds, a silver and a bronze at the 2008 Summer Paralympic Games in Beijing, which were his third Games. Weir won gold in the 800m and 1500m, silver in the 400m in a time of 46.02 behind China's Zhang Lixin, and bronze in the 5000m in a time of 10:23.03. Weir's two golds were the only gold medals won at the games by a British track athlete.
Weir's maiden Paralympic gold finally came in the 800m, a title he had been waiting twelve years for. After winning the race in a time of 1:36.61 he said "It is the most amazing feeling. It's all I have trained for to become a Paralympic champion. I can't really put it into words now."
Weir had to wait to see if he had won the 800m gold after the Australian team objected to Weir's starting position in the race. The race was set to be re-run when Australian competitor Kurt Fearnley asked for the protest to be withdrawn the next morning. Weir said about the protest "I was angry and devastated, as I felt the protest was wrong. In 800m races, the first three lanes are considered the best, so Kurt actually had a better lane. But he was behind the decision to withdraw the protest, which was good sportsmanship."
Weir won his second gold in the 1500m final in a time of 3:10.34, after the race Weir said "This one means more than winning the 800m. The 1,500m is the blue riband event in wheelchair racing."
Read more about this topic: David Weir (athlete)
Famous quotes containing the word summer:
“When I was a bachelor, I lived by myself
And I worked at the weaver’s trade;
The only, only, thing that I ever did wrong
Was to woo a fair young maid.
I wooed her in the winter time,
And in the summer too;
And the only, only thing that I ever did wrong
Was to keep her from the foggy, foggy dew.”
—Unknown. The Foggy, Foggy Dew (l. 1–8)