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PARALYMPICS

Sweden’s Jacobsson shoots way to 17th Paralympic gold

The Paralympic Games' most decorated male athlete, Jonas Jacobsson of Sweden, on Wednesday shot his way to the 17th gold of his career, taking the men's 50m rifle 3 positions SH1 title in London.

Sweden's Jacobsson shoots way to 17th Paralympic gold

The 47-year-old has garnered 30 medals in nine Games since making his debut in 1980 in Arnhem, the Netherlands. In this edition, he has only collected silver in his four scheduled events.

But he refound his gold-winning aim at the Royal Artillery Barracks, firing 10s all the way from his third shot to the end of the competition to successfully defend the title he won four years ago in Beijing.

His 100.9 points was the highest of the session and left him with a total of 1,255.9. Doron Shaziri, of Israel, a silver medalist in Beijing and bronze at Athens in 2004, was second, with Dong Cheo of China in third.

Dong had previously picked up gold in the men’s 10m air rifle standing SH1.

Jacobsson, a wheelchair user and paralysed since birth, celebrated to loud cheers from Swedish fans in the crowd and said he was delighted with yet another win.

“It was amazing. I didn’t really believe that I could do it but it was the power to win. It’s been tough, for the last four months I wasn’t shooting my best but I did it,” he said.

AFP/The Local

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SPORT

Italy scoops first Paralympic gold medal

Swimmer Federico Morlacchi has won the first gold for Italy at the 2016 Paralympics.

Italy scoops first Paralympic gold medal
Federico Morlacchi. Photo: Ben Stansall/AFP

His medal is also Italy's 500th at the Paralympic games.

After winning silver in the 400m freestyle (S9), Morlacchi scooped gold in the 200m individual medley (SM9) on Sunday, his time of 2:16:72 allowing him to beat Hungarian Tamas Sors and Australian Timothy Disken.

“This is the top of the world,” Morlacchi said, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. “I had fun. I haven't really realized what I have done yet.”

He celebrated by punching the water and blowing a kiss to his supporters in the stands, but said that he never cries at a win. “My job is to make others emotional.”

The president of Italy's Paralympics Committee, Luca Pancalli, said: “I'm indescribably happy. Federico deserves everything, he's a phenomenal guy. This medal was a masterpiece.”

It was the fifth Paralympic medal of his career for 22-year-old Morlacchi, who is from the Varese region and went home from the 2012 games in London with three bronze medals.

The S9 category is for athletes with “severe weakness in one leg” and Morlacchi has hypoplasia (incomplete tissue development) in his left leg. He initially took up swimming for rehabilitation as a young child.

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