London 2012: Adams looks to Rio Games
PARALYMPIC DEBUT: Jonathan Adams in action in the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday night.
JONATHAN Adams believes he can use his experience at London 2012 as a stepping stone to future medal success.
The teenage shot putter from Great Cornard made his Paralympic debut amid a wall of noise in the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday night, but was unable to progress to the second and final round of the competition.
His best throw of 9.84m, 0.37m short of his personal best, in the men’s F34 seated classification for athletes with cerebral palsy, saw him finish 14th out of 15 competitors to record a mark, with only the top eight going through to compete for a medal.
Although frustrated at his performance, he believes the experience can stand him in good stead for his dream of a medal at the next Paralympics in four years in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.
The double world junior silver medallist, who hailed the support of his ‘spud army’, named after his mother’s nickname for him, said: “This isn’t the end, this is only the beginning of my career hopefully, I am only 19 and this is my first Games.
“To be involved in such a high class competition so young is obviously a great honour for me – to be out there has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I value it very much.”
Adams’ Loughborough training partner Dan West threw a British best of 11.37m to progress to the final, to the delight of Adams, who stayed out to watch on, but could not get higher than seventh.
Speaking of his own performance, which saw him throw 8.53m, 9.23m and then 9.84m, Adams said: “I was a little bit disappointed with it to tell the truth but I think the learning curve I have been through in this event was second to none.
“It outweighs the fact I did not perform to the best of my abilities and just to be out there with the crowd and in front of 80,000 people is something I will never forget.
“It has been great to be alongside Dan and have him as a mentor and to see him perform so well was obviously a big thing for me.
“I would have liked to have thrown further, of course, but you can’t always have it your own way in sport and you have to try and take the rough with the smooth and enjoy the experience and the opportunity you’ve been awarded.”
He added: “Hopefully I can build a bigger base for the future.”
Email to a friend
Print this page- New mayor drives through Tesco’s doors
- Leading role given to ‘trailblazing’ schools
- Old friends form new group with man who toured in hit band
- World’s first professor of networking to speak at West Suffolk College business breakfast
- Future of HMV in Bury St Edmunds is secured after business is sold by administrators
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Bury St Edmunds
Friday 24 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 6 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North
