Teamwork makes the dream work for Grinham and Macqueen

Jodie Grinham won mixed team archery gold with her ‘little one’ - except this time she was not referring to her unborn child.

Instead, the Cardigan native was talking about her teammate Nathan Macqueen as the pair combined to make history as ParalympicGB’s first-ever gold medallists in the discipline.

Grinham is currently seven months pregnant and became the person at the most advanced stage of pregnancy to ever compete at a Games.

“It’s absolutely amazing,” Grinham said. “I don’t think there is anyone I would rather become Paralympic champion with.

“I’ve got this little one here. I say little one, but I can say that because I’ve watched him come on and I watched him qualify for his first Games.

“I watched him grow in the sport. I’ve watched him turn into a dad. It’s a true honour.

“I said to him earlier ‘it was an absolute honour to watch you qualify for your first Games and be part of you winning your first medal was just going to be exceptional’.

“Let alone actually being Paralympic champions together, it’s the proper cherry on top of the cake there.”

Grinham had already won women’s individual compound bronze at Paris 2024 and has now completed the set adding gold to the mixed team silver she won in Rio.

The pair, who went in to the competition as the second seeds, defeated Australia comfortably in the quarter-final.

They then faced Italy, beating them 156-149 to confirm Grinham’s third and Macqueen’s first Paralympic medal in a joint-Paralympic record score.

GB always had the upperhand in the final against Iran, although an eight from Macqueen on the penultimate end made things more nervy.

The pair then ended with a perfect score to confirm themselves as Paralympic champion in dream fashion with a 155-151 triumph.

She added: “100 per cent, I knew we could take it. There was not a doubt in me that thought if we just shot how we shoot. Not we’ve got to shoot extra or there is more pressure.

“But I knew if we shoot the level that we shoot normally just in practice at home, enjoying it having fun, we were absolutely going to storm it today and I’m really happy to say that we did.

“We both had a few shots in there where we were like ‘ughh’ but at the same time I know that I can shoot those shots because Nathan’s going to have my back and put it in the ten and vice versa when needed.”

The slight groans that greeted Macqueen’s eight in the third end were replaced by huge cheers as the pair claimed gold.

But for Grinham, the party atmosphere had already begun on the competition floor, as she took the chance to enjoy herself.

“I love it, this is why I do sport. If I could never train and only ever compete, that would be absolutely brilliant in my life,” she said.

“But it doesn’t work like that when you’re an athlete. Being here and having the crowds, having the adrenaline and the meaning behind it.

“You’re not just shooting for the sake of it, you’re shooting for something. That’s where the real enjoyment and the real competition shots come out.”