Adam Hall. Photo ODT files
Otago's Adam Hall has won gold in men's standing slalom
in dramatic fashion at the winter Paralympics in Canada,
clawing his way back into contention after falling on his
second run.
Hall, who was raised in Outram and is now based in
Wanaka, said the win fulfilled a 15 year dream.
He won the race despite falling halfway through his
second run and afterwards said: "I can't explain it, I'm
wordless. It's been a 15 year dream to come here and win a
gold medal".
His gold medal in Vancouver was New Zealand's first medal at
the Winter Paralympics since 2002.
Hall, 22, who has spina bifida, had to beat a combined time
of one minute 45.97 seconds set by German Gerd Schonfelder,
and got there with around half a second to spare.
Talking to Sky Sports after his victory, Hall joked that his
fall was on purpose and said he "just got back on the horse"
and tried not to think about how it would affect his medal
prospects.
"To cross the finish line and see my name and country on the
top of the scoreboard was unbelievable," he said Hall went to
Vancouver hoping to get a gold medal and said "you don't just
come here to get second or third".
His grandfather travelled from Dunedin and his mother, who
was also in the crowd, said she had stopped breathing halfway
through the race. Defending a lead of more than two seconds
after the first run, Hall skied well at the start of his
second run, but looked to have lost all chance when he fell.
But he scrambled back up to finish the course 0.57sec ahead
of Schonfelder with a two-run time of 1min 45.40sec. He
looked distraught at the finish, until he saw his name flash
up in the gold medal position.
Schonfelder, who had powered down his second run to move into
the lead, took the silver medal ahead of Australian Cameron
Rahles-Rahbula, who was second after the first round.
Hall led after the first round with a time of 50.95sec,
2.13sec quicker than Rahles-Rahbula.
After the first run Hall said he was happy with his time but
could not afford to get too excited.
"It's a two-run race. It's not just one race, so after the
first run it doesn't mean anything," he said.
In the end his two second buffer was enough to stave off his
rivals.
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