Gold medal victor, record-breaking Kappel, clinches the top spot
The coveted gold slips through his fingers once more: Discussion throw specialist Niko Kappel bags silver at the Paralympics. The Stuttgart native is displeased, grappling with his performance. The 29-year-old is undecided whether to celebrate or indulge in "disappointment drinking".
Paralympic gold medal hopeful Niko Kappel, the discus throw world record holder, fell short of clinching a second gold medal at the games. The world champion from Schwäbisch Gmünd had to settle for silver in the F41 class for dwarfism in Paris, launching the discus 13.74 meters, trailing behind his Uzbek rival and previous Tokyo winner Bobirjon Omonov (14.32).
"I essentially gave away the gold medal today. I didn't perform well at all," he expressed on ARD. "I just couldn't find my stride today. I know I had more in me." He remains undecided on whether the evening will see a celebration for silver or "disappointment drinking".
Kappel entered the Stade de France as the favorite, having secured the world title earlier this year and subsequently enhancing his own world record to 15.07 meters. In the French capital, Kappel, cheered on by approximately 80 fans from home, failed to surpass the 14-meter mark.
Training with the Olympic champion
Kappel appeared increasingly agitated before his final throw, seeking advice from his coach, then secluding himself for a few minutes from the inner area, "to put some tension into the legs," explained Kappel. However, it didn't yield any positive results. With silver, Kappel clinched the first German medal in athletics on the fourth day of competition.
Omonov had already started to apply pressure on Kappel with his second attempt. The two-time world champion also broke his own Paralympic record by 26 centimeters with his gold throw. Kappel, who regularly trains with Olympic champion Yemisi Ogunleye, failed to retaliate. After gold in Rio and bronze in Tokyo, the 29-year-old completed his medal set.
In the long jump final for the visually impaired T12 category, Andreas Walser managed a season's best of 6.73 meters despite enduring back pain, but it wasn't enough for a podium finish, falling short by 15 centimeters.
Wheelchair racer Merle Menje narrowly missed out on the 1500m final. The 20-year-old from Mainz finished sixth in her heat in 3:21.86 minutes, just over a second shy of the qualifying time. Only the top five athletes from the two heats qualified for the final.
Despite securing the world title and breaking his own record this year, Athletics star Niko Kappel struggled to clinch a second gold medal at the Paralympics, settling for silver in the F41 class. Training with Olympic champion Yemisi Ogunleye, Kappel faced stiff competition from his Uzbek rival Bobirjon Omonov, who broke his own Paralympic record to secure the gold.
