Grey tracks down Gold
Tees Active Sports Academy champion, Tanni Grey-Thompson, was in winning form on the fifth day of competition at the IPC Athletics World Championships in the Dutch city of Assen. 
The Redcar-based paralympic medallist took silver in the T53 800m crossing the line in 2:11.85 with gold going to Amanda McGrory of the USA who finished in a time of 2:11.44. Earlier in the day Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson won her heat with the fastest time for the final.
The world record holder was delighted to get a medal as she had been ill in the run up to the event.
“I’ve been really sick for a few days, so I was happy just to be racing,” she said. “I thought I would struggle for a medal, but if I pushed really well I could get a bronze, so getting a silver was really good.
“There was nothing left at the end,” she added. “If it had been a fast race I wouldn’t have been able to hang in there.”
Grey-Thompson won her second medal of the championships adding gold in the T53 200m ahead of Jessica Galli (USA) and Italy’s Francesca Porcellato.
“I was a bit nervous on the start line, but I’m really pleased to have won gold. Coming off the bend I felt good today and I was able to relax towards the end,” said the 37-year-old.
Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson missed out on a medal in the T53 100m, finishing nine-hundredths of a second behind bronze medallist Fracesca Porcellato with a time of 18.21 The 16 time paralympic medallist crossed the line in 18.30. Gold went to Jessica Galli (USA) in 18.10, with silver being taken by China’s Zhou Hongzhuan.