Silver Sammi strikes again as Paralympic medal haul mounts

Through nan acheronian of her visor, you could conscionable astir spot nan daze and elation successful Sammi Kinghorn’s eyes, some successful adjacent measure, aft earning different Paralympic silver, this clip successful nan women’s 1,500m T54.

This felt for illustration a propulsion of nan dice successful an arena she has small acquisition successful astatine this level. How it paid disconnected astatine nan Stade de France.

Kinghorn followed up 2nd successful nan 800m T54 pinch different fantabulous performance, which mightiness person been moreover amended had events unfolded somewhat differently.

"I'm benignant of blown away," Kinghorn told BBC Scotland, pinch a grin arsenic wide and afloat of pridefulness arsenic you could imagine.

"I thought [I had] astir apt much chance of coming fourth, compression for third. To get a metallic badge is perfectly incredible.

"I benignant of sewage a spot disorientated. I stopped astatine 200m to spell because I thought we crossed nan line, truthful I'm going to watch that backmost and beryllium really irritated astatine myself.

"I'm still learning. That's nan first clip I've done 1500m astatine that benignant of level. I request to count my laps is what I'm learning."

Counting medals mightiness go a past clip excessively and what we’re learning is that Kinghorn seems fresh to situation successful immoderate arena she competes in.

This was a tricky, slippery aboveground during which 2 athletes collapsed retired of contention astatine nan midway point.

The 28-year-old from Melrose retained laser for illustration attraction to location successful connected her prize.

"You’re adjacent and you’re elbowing and you're huddled together for position," she explained.

"You're going 20 miles an hr connected nan wet. In nan spray it's rather difficult to ore retired location erstwhile it's truthful slippy and you're going astatine specified precocious speeds.

"I conscionable benignant of thought I’d propulsion myself successful nan 1500m to spot what happened and I conscionable did not expect that."

With 2 silvers already successful Paris, building connected bronze and metallic successful Tokyo, Kinghorn has already bettered her erstwhile Paralympic performances.

She’s, potentially, not vanished there.

"It's incredible," she enthused. "I deliberation aft Tokyo, I ever thought that nan badge was going to beryllium nan point that made you happy.

"I've learned arsenic I'm getting older that that's not nan point that makes you happy. I've benignant of being utilizing this affinity of building a barroom and your full life has to beryllium this beautiful, cleanable barroom and nan badge should ever conscionable beryllium nan cherry connected top.

"The barroom is perfectly good without it. Coming present and winning medals is nan cherry connected top."

There’s ample opportunity for that cherry to grow pinch nan anticipation of 3 much events for Kinghorn astatine these Paralympics, and nan chance to spell 1 amended than nan 2 silvers she’s already attained.

"Gosh, it'd beryllium astonishing to triumph a golden medal," she considered, arsenic though it had ne'er entered her mind before.

"I'm conscionable buzzing pinch this full acquisition and each twelvemonth and each clip I travel here, I'm learning much and more."