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Making amends Sauvage wins 1500m as Petitclerc retains 800m
SYDNEY (Reuters) -- Australia's highest-profile wheelchair athlete Louise Sauvage overcame a controversial loss in the T54 800 meters to win gold in the 1,500m at the Sydney Paralympics on Wednesday. Sauvage, who had been unbeaten on the track for eight years, took silver behind Canadian arch rival Chantal Petitclerc in the 800m on Sunday, before the race referee called for the final to be re-run because of interference at the back of the pack. But the Canadians successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Tuesday, ensuring that Petitclerc's gold medal stood and a re-run was not required. Sauvage, who pushed a perfect tactical race with Petitclerc a distant fifth, said the 1,500m had been a slow race and she knew it would come down to a final sprint. "I came through first, that's the main thing. I didn't find out (about the CAS hearing) until this morning but I'm totally focused on my 1500 and it worked out fine," she said. Sauvage, the reigning World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability, had won seven gold medals at the Barcelona and Atlanta Paralympics and the Sydneysider admitted to feeling under pressure to perform before her home crowd. "The pressure has been lifted to a certain extent in the last couple of days, so it's been great," she said. "The court decision is fine. I had nothing to do with it. We didn't disagree with anything that happened. That's the way it goes." Petitclerc, who appeared bitterly disappointed after the race, told a news conference she had shaken hands with Sauvage to congratulate her. "We are both competitive. We respect each other. We are not close friends," Petitclerc said. "She (Sauvage) had a smart race. She deserved it, like I did in the 800." Petitclerc said she would take home some good memories of her 800m triumph but felt disappointed at her fifth placing in the 1,500m, complaining of being boxed in. "I didn't feel like I had many friends on the track tonight," she said. "I can live with it."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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