Maria Lyle sets European record in claiming silver in Doha
Friday 30 October 2015 08:33, UK
Maria Lyle claimed silver for Great Britain in the women's 100 metres T35 at the IPC World Championships in Doha, setting a new European record of 13.92 seconds in the process.
The 15-year-old qualified in a championship-record time of 14.57secs in the first heat before Australian Isis Holt followed that up with an improved 14.19 to qualify fastest for the final.
Holt then went even better in the showpiece to set a new world record of 13.63 but double European champion Lyle did enough to finish second in a new personal best, ahead of Australia's Brianna Coop.
She was nevertheless left pondering what might have been.
"I'm happy with the time considering I had a bad start," she said. "I tripped slightly in my first few strides, unfortunately.
"That is something I'll have to work on with my coach (Tabo Huntley) - we'll have to focus on a lot of technical things. I'm going to have a hard winter training session to make sure I'm in even better shape ahead of Rio next year.
"I would have liked to have won the gold medal but it wasn't to be. I tried my best."
Sophie Hahn also secured silver in the women's 200m T38, while Shaun Burrows won bronze in the men's 400m T38 to take Britain's medal tally to 26 on day eight in Qatar.
Hahn, who was pipped to the gold by Russia's Margarita Goncharova, clocked a personal-best time of 26.82 while British team-mate Olivia Breen also claimed a PB by finishing fourth in 28.06.
"I am very happy because I didn't expect to get a personal best," Hahn said. "Margarita (Goncharova, who won the gold and set a world record of 26.61) is a fantastic athlete and I think her endurance got the better of me today."
Earlier in the session, Burrows clocked 53.45 to finish third in the men's 400m T38 behind Colombia's Dixon de Jesus Hooker Velasquez, who won in 52.62, while South Africa's Union Sekailwe secured the silver medal in a season's best 52.78.
"I can't believe I won a medal," Burrows said. "My legs feel like jelly now but it was a very good race. I'm happy with a personal best and it gives me confidence for the 100m."
Elsewhere, Jordan Howe was fifth in the men's 100m T35, Graeme Ballard narrowly missed out on the medals in the men's 100m T36 by finishing fourth and Jenny McLoughlin also ended up fourth in the women's 200m T37 in 30.05.
