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https://modmedia.blog.gov.uk/2016/05/10/uk-medal-haul-reaches-55-on-first-day-of-invictus-games-2016-finals/

UK medal haul reaches 53 on first day of Invictus Games 2016 finals

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The Invictus Games heavyweight powerlifting finals saw the UK team get all the podium spots. Petty Officer Sean Gaffney secured gold, Ross Austen got silver and Corporal Ian Taylor came in joint third.
The Invictus Games heavyweight powerlifting finals saw the UK team get all the podium spots. Petty Officer Sean Gaffney secured gold, Ross Austen got silver and Corporal Ian Taylor came in joint third.

Four days of international competition are underway in Orlando, Florida at the second Invictus Games - and the UK team is already doing their nation proud and has bagged a large number of medals.

The Invictus Games are for wounded, sick and injured personnel and veterans and the semi-finals and finals began on Monday (May 9).

Petty Officer Sean Gaffney, a serving member of the Royal Navy, has a below-the-knee left leg amputation after being injured in service in 1999. He won the gold medal heavyweight powerlifting, with teammates Ross Austen in second and Corporal Ian Taylor in joint third.

PO Gaffney also got a silver in rowing IR5 men’s 4-minute race and gold in the IR5 men’s 1-minute competition while Royal Marine Fergus Hurst also picked up gold in the IR6 men’s four minute row and the one-minute row.

The second games are taking place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney resort. They are the brainchild of Prince Harry, who presented a number of medals on the first day.

Team UK have once again dominated the road cycling events with a haul of seven gold, 10 silver and seven bronze medals.

The races turned out to be nail-biters across the board, but none more so than the final criterium. The UK was set to grab all three medals, but a popped tyre for the first place cyclist, Flight Lieutenant Nathan Jones of the RAF, on the homestretch caused him to crash out yards from the finish line and Canada was able to sneak in for a bronze.

Paul Vice, a former corporal in the Royal Marines, took two silvers in the recumbent bike trial and race. He participated in the London Invictus Games in 2014 with two legs, but had one amputated shortly afterwards, with his cycling times demonstrating his determination to getting back to his peak fitness.

“I set goals in my recovery to getting to being as mobile as I can, and I’m just smashing those goals out of the water,” said Vice. “As every soldier knows, when you get injured, you can get into a very dark place for a bit. Adaptive sports has been a massive eye opener for me and changed my life.”

A total of 12 medals were secured across the men’s and women’s light and heavyweight divisions in powerlifting, which were contested by a spread of nations that included the US, Australia, Canada, UK, Netherlands, France, and Estonia.

“Sport changed my life,” said UK men’s heavyweight silver medalist Ross Austen, a former Army corporal.

“I never thought in a million years that I would wrap myself in my country’s flag again,” said Ross, who suffered crippling leg injuries from an Improvised Explosives Device (IED) while on patrol in Afghanistan.

Serving Army corporal Ian Taylor who won a bronze said that sport had also changed his life. “Sport has given me my life back. It’s given me motivation and something to focus on.”

Sport

UK Competitor Medal
Women’s lightweight powerlifting Sarah Claricoates Bronze
Women’s heavyweight powerlifting Nerys Pearce Silver
Men’s lightweight powerlifting Michael Yule Gold
Men’s heavyweight powerlifting Petty Officer Sean Gaffney Gold
Men’s heavyweight powerlifting Ross Austen Silver
Men’s heavyweight powerlifting Corporal Ian Taylor Bronze

(joint)

IHB1 Men’s Handbike Time Trial Josh Boggi Silver
IHB1 Men’s Handbike Time Trial David Sandles Bronze
IHB1 women’s Handbike Time Trial Jennifer Warren Gold
IHB1 women’s Handbike Time Trial Joanna Martin Bronze
IRB1 Men’s Road Bike Time Trial Andrew Kelsey Bronze
IRB2 Men's Road Bike Time Trial Jaco Van Gass Gold
IRB2 Men's Road Bike Time Trial Craig Preece Silver
IRB3 Women’s Road Bike Time Trial Donna Davies Bronze
IRB3 Men's Road Bike Time Trial 1 Michael Westwell Gold
IRB3 Men's Road Bike Time Trial 1 Andrew Perrin Silver
IRecB1 Men's Recumbent Bike Time Trial 1 Robert Cromey-Hawke Gold
IRecB1 Men's Recumbent Bike Time Trial 1 Paul Vice Silver
IRecB1 Men's Recumbent Bike Time Trial 1 Michael Matthews Bronze
IHB1 Men's Hand Bike Race 1 Josh Boggi Silver
IHB1 Men's Hand Bike Race 1 David Sandles Bronze
IHB2 Women's Hand Bike Race Jennifer Warren Silver
IRecB1 Men's Recumbent Bike Race 1 Robert Cromey-Hawke Gold
IRecB1 Men's Recumbent Bike Race 1 Paul Vice Silver
IRB2 Men's Road Bike Circuit Race Craig Preece Gold
IRB2 Men's Road Bike Circuit Race Jaco Van Gass Silver
IRB3 Women's Road Bike Circuit Race Donna Davies Silver
IRB3 Women's Road Bike Circuit Race Sally Orange Bronze
IRB3 Men's Road Bike Circuit Race Andrew Perrin Gold
IRB3 Men's Road Bike Circuit Race Michael Westwell Silver
Archery Novice recurve Gareth Paterson Gold
Archery Open recurve Angelito Barbierato Gold
Archery Open recurve Chris Macfayden Silver
Archery Team - Novice recurve Martin Clapton
Gareth Paterson
Matthew Elliot
Gold
Archery Team - Open recurve Angelito Barbierato
Chris Macfayden
Carl Tarry
Gold
Archery Team - Open compound Andy Phillips
Jon Flint
Adrian Grobler
Bronze
Rowing – IR1 Men’s 4 min Josh Boggi Gold
IR1 Men’s 4 min Lamin Manneh Silver
IR2 Women’s 4 min Nerys Pearce Silver
IR2 Women’s 4 min Joanna Martin Bronze
IR5 Men’s 4 min Jordan Beecher Gold
IR5 Men’s 4 min Sean Gaffney Silver
IR4 Men’s 4 min Scott Meenagh Gold
IR4 Men’s 4 min William Prosser Gold (joint)
IR6 Women’s 4 min Laura Knowles Silver
IR6 Men’s 4 min Fergus Hurst Gold
IR1 Men’s 1 min Josh Boggi Gold
IR2 Women’s 2 min Nerys Pearce Gold
IR2 Women’s 2 min Joanna Martin Silver
IR5 Men’s 1 min Sean Gaffney Gold
IR5 Men’s 1 min Jordan Beecher Silver
IR4 Men’s 1 min William Prosser Silver
IR4 Men’s 1 min Scott Meenagh Bronze
IR6 Women’s 1 min Laura Knowles Bronze
IR6 Men’s 1 min Fergus Hurst

Gold

Updates on the Games will be posted on this blog as the competition progresses.

Nerys Pearce won silver in the women's heavyweight powerlifting
Nerys Pearce won silver in the women's heavyweight powerlifting

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