(Trinidad Guardian) T&T’s Akeem Stewart stuck silver in the men’s discus F64 event at the 2024 Paralympic Games at the Stade de France in Paris, France on Thursday.
Stewart threw the implement out to 59.66 m to claim his third Paralympic medal.
Jeremy Campbell of the USA took the gold in a new Games record in the F64 division, which was contested for the first time. Another American, David Blair, took the bronze medal (57.76).
The competition was decided in the first round as all three medallists achieved their best marks with their first throws. Stewart recorded 50.66 in the second round. He fouled his next two efforts and then had marks of 56.55, 58.89, and 57.09 in his remaining efforts.
Stewart, 32, was second in the Discus F 44 division at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and copped gold in the Javelin F 44 at the same meet.
The Scarborough Secondary graduate was hoping to match the gold in the event at last year’s Para Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
His medal is the eighth international top-three finish for the multiple World Paralympic record holder.
In addition to his Paralympic double gold in Rio, Stewart also clinched a pair of titles at the 2017 World Para Athletics World Championships in London, England, in the men’s F 44 javelin (57.32) and shot put (19.08). He also secured bronze in the Discus F44 (59.13) at the 2015 edition in Doah, Qatar.
The national men’s shot put abled-body record holder was also victorious at the 2015 Para Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, after he landed the discus F44 (63.03) and javelin F44 (53.36) both in world record marks.
Stewart is the lone local athlete competing at the Paris Paralympics Games.
With his silver medal, T&T is now at joint 68th in the medal table along with Kenya, Sri Lanka, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Paris Paralympics opened on August 28 and will continue until Sunday.
