Aitchison: ‘silver medal is just the icing on the cake’

Danielle Aitchison has claimed New Zealand’s second silver medal of the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

Danielle Aitchison is named athletics’ best female athlete at the 2018 Halberg Games.
Photo: Photosport

The 20-year-old para-sprinter from Waikato has finished second in the women’s 200m T36 at the Olympic stadium, 1.67 secs behind world record holder Shi Yiting of China.

Shi equalled the world record of 28.21 secs, she set at the 2019 world para athletics championships in Dubai, to win gold.

Aitchison finished more than a second clear of Argentina’s Yanina Andrea Martinez, who collected the bronze medal.

Danielle Aitchison was overcome with joy after the race.

“I’m just so happy with how I ran and to know that I got the silver medal at the end of it, it’s so worth it,” She said.

“I love to run fast…it just makes me feel so free and to get a silver medal is just the icing on the cake basically.”

Aitchison, who has two uncommon types of cerebal palsy, also claimed silver at the world championships two years ago.

Danielle Aitchison will be back in action at the Olympic stadium on Wednesday, when she lines up in the heats of the women’s 100m T36.

She finished fourth in the event at the world para athletics championships in Dubai in 2019.