Great Britain's Zoe Newson made her Paralympic debut in some style as she won powerlifting bronze.
Powerlifting success for 20-year-old
Great Britain's Zoe Newson made her Paralympic debut in some style as she won powerlifting bronze at the ExCel.
The 20-year-old from Colchester lifted 88kg to secure a podium spot in the women's under 40kg category in front of an electric home crowd in east London.
Newson's bronze came on a magical day of powerlifting as Turkey's Nazmiye Muslu broke her own world record - just like Yakubu Adesokan of Nigeria did earlier in the afternoon."It was outstanding out there," Newson said. "The crowd just pump you up. "It was great to have a home crowd and have them behind you. It helps you get along and get stronger.
"I just wanted to get a personal best really on my Paralympic Games debut.
"It means the world to me get bronze, though, as it is just payment for all the hard work."
Newson had looked unlikely to make the podium after her second lift was controversially chalked off, although a superb final effort of 88kg was enough to secure third.
"Before the third lift, I was so nervous," she added. "I didn't get the second one but then it was alright.
"I didn't think I had locked out properly in the second one but my coaches said differently so I will go by them. I didn't realise they had even protested, to be honest."
The other star of the show was Turkey's Muslu, who broke the Paralympic record with a third lift of 106kg.
Not satisfied by that, though, she returned for a fourth and final effort so she could break her own world record with a lift of 109kg.
"I am very, very happy about what I have done," said Muslu, who finished ahead of China's Zhe Cui.
"I haven't slept for two days leading up to this. It is has been a very hard discipline for me these last two years.
"I have been working very hard to do well and won my medal for both myself and Turkey.
"I knew I was going to win the medal before I even got here, though. I was mentally prepared for it."
