RISE AND SHINE Paralympic lovers. You’ll miss it when it’s gone.
Yes, the weekend is almost here and by the time you force yourself back to work on Monday, all the talk will have turned to the closing ceremony and homecomings.
All that stuff is grand, but there is no substitute for some raw, intense competition.
Friday promises no let-up in that regard.
Who’s flying the flag?
First up this morning is Catherine O’Neill, who will aim to ring her championship form into the F51/52/53 Discus final at 10am. She will be up against it, though. Three finalists have thrown in double figures this year while O’Neill’s PB is 5.89m. Here’s hoping she can do enough to medal.
Ray O’Dwyer will throw in the same event (though F32/33/34 classification) in the evening session from 7pm.
You’ll be glued to the TV anyway, because Jason Smyth’s 200m run for gold and glory is due to go under the gun at 19:18 and is expected to be done and dusted by 19:18.22.
Mark Rohan is in cycling action again, his H1 road race at Brands hatch will begin just after 10.30 this morning..
Do not miss
The fastest Paralympian on the planet is in action. Smyth, as you probably already know, is bidding to add to his 100m title claimed last weekend.A gold over 200m would mean he repeats the amazing feat of doing the sprint double which – not unlike Usain Bolt – he also won in Beijin 2008.
You may have heard of these other sprinters at the Games. Oscar Pistorius and Alan Oliveira. The ‘blade runners’ won’t lock horns on the track at 9.45pm as they are in separate 400m heats, but they will be fascinating to watch none-the-less.
Team GB’s David Anthony is determined. Chris Radburn/PA Wire/Press Association Images
Arguably, the most physically abrasive event of the day will be the continuation of wheelchair rugby. There are four games tomorrow, but the stand-out fixture is undoubtedly Japan v Team GB ranked fourth and fifth in the world. They’ll get the Murderball rolling at 3pm, giving you plenty of time to get psyched up for that ominous fixture in Kazakhstan.