Young looks to future after narrowly missing podium

Thomas Young is already eyeing up his next test after missing out on a medal at Paris 2024 by just one hundredth of a second.

The 24-year-old went into the final of the men’s T38 100m as defending champion but was narrowly pipped to bronze by Juan Alejandro Campas Sanchez of Columbia at the Stade de France.

Young was notably heartbroken with his performance on the track after his golden exploits in Tokyo but noted how much stronger the event has become in recent years with the USA’s Jaydin Blackwell taking the title in a new world record time.

And with his sights now set on returning to the top spot at LA 2028, the four year plan is already unfolding in Young’s mind.

“I’m gutted, it’s been my best season ever and this is just a totally horrible feeling,” said Young, who clocked a time of 11.00 for fourth in the final.

“My leg cramped up in the call room but no excuses, it just wasn’t my night. I’ve got off the track injury free, the tears will dry and I can focus on the future.

“The Americans have scouted athletes from other sports and they are doing such a good job to bring these guys in for LA.

“Beating them in LA is the ambition now, we’ve a long time to work on it so I’ll focus on getting stronger.”

Sophie Hahn also heralded the strength of the women’s T38 100m after she was unable to defend her title.

Columbia’s Karen Tatiana Palomeque Moreno clocking a new world record for gold in Paris but Hahn, was unable to produce the same form that evening, clocking a time 12.88 to finish sixth.

And after winning gold in the event at both Rio and Tokyo, Hahn was proud to see how far the event has come since she opened the doors.

“That was history, the T38 class has become so much stronger,” she said.

“Huge congratulations to the Colombian, she was incredible and I feel like if I can inspire the next generation then I can’t ask for more than that really. The future of the sport is really exciting.”

Teammate Maddie Down finished eighth in the final after setting a personal best of 12.93s in her heat to qualify on Paralympic debut.

The 16-year-old was thrilled to have performed so well on debut  and competing with the top ranks just days after she recieved her GCSE results.

“It’s feeling pretty cool and a bit surreal,” she said. “I wanted to make it and I did.

“Coming in at 16, I’ve just finished my GCSE’s but it’s been a great experience and I’m still not done yet so we will just have to see what happens.”

David Weir finished eighth in the men’s T54 5000m after a sprint finish left him just shy of a highly competitive field.

Weir had previously noted that his best events are still to come in the 1500m and marathon later in the Games and was happy to have shaken off the cobwebs and got some racing under his belt in Paris.

“Sometimes it takes me a good race to blow the cobwebs out and a tactical race like that which was slow, but it wasn’t super slow should help going forward.”

Zac Shaw finished fourth on debut in the men’s T12 100m, improving on his heat to clock a time of 10.94s while in the morning finals, Luke Nuttall finished seventh in the men’s T46 1500m to improve on his ninth place in Tokyo.