Ingrīda Priede earned a bronze medal in the discus in the F38 group with her second throw coming in farthest at 27.63 meters, behind silver-medalist Irina Vetiskaya from Russa wit 28.35-meter throw and Viktoriya Jasevicha from Ukraine with a gold-medal distance of 28.69 meters.
Latvia’s most-awarded paralympian Aigars Apinis, and javelin thrower Dmitrijs Silovs both took gold medals in their respective heats.
Silovs won Latvia’s second gold Saturday in the F37/38 group with a 47.32 meter throw, improving a personal record. Ukrainian Oleksandr Doroshenko took silver with a 41.61 meter throw.
As reported, Latvia’s most-awarded paralympian Aigars Apinis set a new discus-throwing record Thursday at the International Paralympics Committee (IPC) Athletics European Championship in Swansea, Wales, reported sports portal Sportacentrs.com.
The 41-year old Apinis improved his best results this season by 3 centimeters, reaching a distance of 19.68 meters and winning his latest award – the European champion’s title.
The protégé of coach Aldis Šūpulnieks competed in the F52 medical category against five other athletes. Apinis set the world record last year in Lyon, France with a throw reaching a distance of 21.06 meters.
Wheelchair-bound discus throwing requires a special stand which allows the performance of all six throws in a row.
Despite many personal records set by his competitors, Apinis left their efforts behind, with Polish athlete Robert Jahimoviczs reaching the closest at 16.77 meters to take the silver, and Slovenian Henrik Plank throwing the discus 14.29 meters for the bronze.
Latvia’s delegation to the 2014 IPC Athletics European Championship in Swansea included 17 athletes, coaches and medical personnel, as well as representatives of Latvia’s Paralympic Committee.
