Prescott relieved to compete after fitness struggles while Weir misses out on the track

Gemma Prescott admitted just making it to Tokyo 2020 was an accomplishment as she finished seventh in the women’s club throw F32 on the first evening of athletics action.

Poland’s Roza Kozakowska won gold with a huge 28.74m world record with Prescott’s best effort of 18.28m well down on her 22.21m personal best.

However, the double bronze medallist from London and Rio explained that her journey to the Games had been far from easy, meaning she wasn’t too downbeat.

“I had a spinal fusion. I herniated a disc just before I flew out to Rio and competed on it for about three years and it was kind of stable until it wasn’t,” she said.

“It was a case of I had to have the surgery and I had to have it then, it couldn’t wait. I didn’t know if I would throw again.

“But then just to be here, not just because of Covid but also after having surgery 18 months ago, I said to myself my target was just to make it. So actually, I made it.”

Meanwhile, six-time Paralympic champion David Weir finished eighth in his heat of the men’s 5000m T54, an event he won at London 2012, although the 42-year-old has admitted his target for these Games is next weekend’s marathon.

Daniel Sidbury also finished eighth in the following heat of the same event on his Paralympic debut, suffering a flat tyre on the way round but still relishing the occasion.

Sidbury said: “It was a disorientating experience. When you are going at those speeds and you have sweat in your eyes, it is difficult. But it was really good fun.

“I was doing well in the opening few laps and I was holding pace and responding to the moves the guys were making. Then I noticed I was struggling to take the bends and the wheel was going all over the place, so I realised I had a puncture and the wheel had gone flat about a mile in.”