The Australian women’s wheelchair basketball team, containing University of Sydney representatives Sarah Stewart and Katie Hill, have survived a first match scare to down Brazil 52-50 in the first night of competition at the 2012 London Paralympics.
Stewart is a Sydney Uni Sport & Fitness (SUSF) Elite Athlete Program (EAP) scholarship holder, philosophy PhD student at the University of Sydney, and Sydney Uni WheelKings and Wheelchair Flames representative. Hill is also a Sydney Uni WheelKings and Wheelchair Flames player.
The Gliders were a little slow out of the blocks, allowing an enthusiastic Brazilian outfit to keep their noses in front for most of the first two quarters. The game was tied at 25 a piece at half-time, and despite controlling the game more effectively in the third and fourth quarters, the Gliders were kept honest throughout the contest, eventually winning by just two points.
The Gliders next game is against hosts Great Britain at 10pm this evening (Friday 10pm).
University of Sydney’s third competitor overnight was commerce student, EAP scholarship holder, and Sydney Uni Swim Club (SUSC) High Performance Multiclass swim program representative Katrina Porter.
Porter was impressive in her women’s 100m backstroke S7 heat, placing third. Despite swimming well again in the final Porter was unable to defend her 2008 Beijing gold medal in the same event, finishing 7th.
Porter will now turn her attention to her remaining four events – 400m freestyle, 100m breaststroke, 100m freestyle and 100m freestyle relay.
As mentioned previously Stewart and Hill will be back in action tonight as the Gliders take on Great Britain in the women’s wheelchair basketball tournament. Also competing will be Paralympic goalball debutant Jennifer Blow.
For a full weekend schedule of University of Sydney Paralympians competing, please see below:
Friday 31 August
6:00pm
Goalball – Women v Japan
Jennifer Blow
10:00pm
Wheelchair Basketball – Women v Great Britain
Sarah Stewart and Katie Hill
Saturday 1 September
8:36pm
Swimming – Women’s50m Freestyle S13 Heat
Prue Watt
Sunday 2 September
3:30am
Wheelchair Basketball – Women v Canada
Sarah Stewart and Katie Hill
4:59am
Swimming – Women’s50m Freestyle S13 Final (provided she qualifies)
Prue Watt
7:15pm
Goalball – Women v Canada
Jennifer Blow
7:48pm
Swimming – Women’s 100m Freestyle S13 Heat
Prue Watt
Monday 3 September
3:41am
Swimming – Women’s 100m Freestyle S13 Final (provided she qualifies)
Prue Watt
5:58am
Athletics – Women 100m T53 Final
Angela Ballard
6:15am
Wheelchair Basketball – Women v Netherlands
Sarah Stewart and Katie Hill
