Super Saturday 5 Paralympic Gold Medals
It’s been a Super Saturday for the UK with new fewer than 16 medals won by the ParalympicsGB team including 5 gold medals.
Sarah Storey became our first Paralympian to win a second gold medal just hours after her husband Barney had pedaled his way to gold in the tandem 1km time-trial as pilot to Neil Fachie, who is partially sighted.
First today however we’ve got the gold medal stamp won by Hannah Cockroft, the wheelchair racer who triumphed in yesterday’s Women’s 100m – T34. Royal Mail will also paint a post box gold in Hannah’s home town of Halifax.
Neil Fachie & Barney Storey Men’s Individual B 1Km Time Trial
Neil Fachie and Barney Storey have won Great Britain’s third cycling gold medal of the Paralympic Games London 2012 games. Riding a tandem, they clocked a world record and are well deserving of the honour of a gold medal stamp courtesy of Royal Mail. The stamps will be on sale in over 500 Post Office branches, including in Neil’s home town of Aberdeen and Barney’s home town of Disley, Cheshire.
Both athletes will have pillar boxes painted gold to celebrate their success, one in Neil’s home town of Aberdeen and another in Barney’s home town of Disley, Cheshire.
Richard Whitehead Men’s 200 metre T42
Richard Whitehead, who was born with both legs missing from above the knee and runs on artificial carbon fibre legs powered past the field off the bend to win gold. It was a hard fought victory, all nine runners recorded personal bests and Richard broke his own world record.
Richard’s gold medal stamp will be available from Monday and of course Royal Mail will be painting a pillar box gold in his home town of Nottingham.
Natasha Baker Equestrian: Individual Championship Test – Grade II
Paralympics dressage gold medallist Natasha Baker is amazing, she’s unable to control her horse with her legs and instead trains her horse to respond to her voice and seat. “Dancing horses” are always a joy to watch and Natasha is an inspiration to everyone who’s ever mounted a horse.
Looking resplendent on her horse Cabral, Royal Mail have already produced Natasha’s stamp design which will be on sale next week. Uxbridge is where you’ll find a gold post box painted in honour of Natasha’s victory.
Sarah Storey CyclingWomen’s 500m C4-5 Time Trial
Sarah Storey is the first Brit to win the double and score two gold medals in the London 2012 Paralympics. Having watched her husband storm to victory with Neil Fachie earlier today, Sarah pedaled her way to a second win. As it was at the Olympics, the Velodrome is the place to be to see the medals rolling in.
Sarah already has a post box painted gold in her home town of Disley and she has chosen to have her second painted gold outside Poynton High School, where she was a student.
Ellie Simmonds Women’s 400m S6 Freestyle
Ellie Simmonds was set for the swim of her life against record holder Victoria Arlen from America in the 400m S6 freestyle. Both looked like they could win the gold right up to the last length when Ellie powered her way to turn first and from then on led Victoria right to the finish smashing the world record by 5 seconds.
Royal Mail will paint a post box gold in Ellie’s hometown of Aldridge, Walsall on Monday and her gold medal stamp will be available for sale next week.
rick says
6:31 am on 02/09/2012
delighted for these people and they deserve all the good things that come their way,
though I fail to see the connection these games have to this site and e commerce, other than royal mail plugging their stamps
Chris Dawson says
10:00 am on September 2nd, 2012
The stamps and Royal Mail are the only connection to ecommerce.
However since we’re based in the UK I think we can be excused for mentioning our gold medal athletes in one post per day.
It’s been 64 years since Britain last hosted the Olympics and Paralympics – we might never see a home Games in our lifetimes again.
Chris says
10:24 am on September 2nd, 2012
UK hosted Olympics 1908, 1948 and 2012. The cost of hosting the Olympics and Paralympics is now so frightening we must rapidly be getting to the postition that very few Countries and certainly no Cities without Government Backing can afford to even consider hosting the games.
So what is likely to happen in the future?
It has been suggested that the games should have a fixed home as it did in the days of Ancient Greece. A fixed home that is rejuvinated every so often for the Games. The possible problem would be that those in favour of this seem mainly to suggest that the fixed home should again be in Greece. Of course Greece has the facilities(mostly now derelict) from when they last held the games.
There could be a suggestion that there should be a number of Games Cities and the games should circulate around them so London have it in 2012 and if there are 10 Olympic Cities that means that London would have it again in 2052.
The problem with this is that Olympic facilities need to be maintained. A regular usage and maintenance programme would be needed to keep the facilities in good constructive order and up to date technically. Otherwise when it comes round again all the facilities are effectively derelict and have to be knocked down and rebuilt at enormous cost.
However I am 62 years old. On almost any of the possible suggestions I doubt if I shall still be alive when its Londons turn again unless as in 1948 London was asked to step in at short notice because the Second World War had left every other alternative unable to do anything. After all if Rio found that it could not hold the games for any reason Londons facilities(or at least those bits that have not been knocked down or converted for other non-sporting usages would still be relatively new and hopefully in good condition(I was told recently that some of the facilities built in China for their games are now derelict and in some cases structurally dangerous)
rick says
10:56 am on September 2nd, 2012
of course they are worth a mention they are worth much more than that,
though why the Royal mail and Stamp thing?
Chris Dawson says
10:59 am on September 2nd, 2012
Because courtesy of Royal Mail we get a fantastic royalty free pitcure, via Getty Images, of each of our gold medal winning Athletes, which we don’t have to pay for and otherwise would be very difficult to obtain for free and very costly if we paid
rick says
12:37 pm on September 2nd, 2012
coca cola and macdonalds next ?
Chris Dawson says
4:19 pm on September 2nd, 2012
If they give us free pictures… but in all honesty probably not
Hugh Rees says
6:55 am on 02/09/2012
Fantastic result for Ellie Simmonds.
As she lives and trains in Swansea, could it be possible for Swansea to have a gold postbox?
Jimbo says
6:24 pm on 02/09/2012
I’m going to athletics on Tuesday. I haven’t been so excited in a long time.
Chris Dawson says
7:15 pm on September 2nd, 2012
Sheesh, I’m so jealous! Wave at the TV as I’ll be watching from home!