Powell wins judo silver after 'going through hell'

Britain’s Dan Powell said his archetypal Paralympic judo medal was a reward for going done "hell" implicit the past 16 years.

The 33-year-old, who made his debut astatine London 2012 and past competed astatine Tokyo 2020, mislaid by ippon to Brazil’s Arthur Cavalcante da Silva successful the -90kg J1 last successful Paris with 1 infinitesimal and 12 seconds of the bout remaining.

But helium was inactive delighted to travel distant from his 3rd Games with a medal.

"This is 16 years successful the making," helium said.

"It has been hellhole - winning, losing, breaking my body, breaking my caput and coming backmost again - and doing it contiguous means truthful much."

The Liverpudlian is an all-around sportsman who changeable to fame successful 2018 erstwhile helium appeared connected ITV amusement Ninja Warrior UK, becoming the archetypal idiosyncratic with a ocular impairment to instrumentality part.

After finishing seventh successful Para-judo successful Tokyo, helium took up rowing, impressing determination too.

But with the judo classification changing to see abstracted divisions for unsighted and visually-impaired fighters successful Paris, helium made the determination to ore his efforts connected it again.

"This a cardinal per cent justifies the determination to travel backmost to the sport," helium said.

"I emotion fighting, I emotion judo, I emotion competing, and being capable to alert astir the satellite and vie is the astir astonishing feeling, and particularly to beryllium watched present connected by my small boy, Edward."

As good arsenic the metallic medal, which sees him surpass the achievements of his begetter Terry, who won bronze medals successful judo astatine the Seoul and Atlanta Games successful 1988 and 96 respectively, helium volition besides instrumentality pridefulness from his melodramatic golden-point semi-final triumph implicit French fable and home-crowd favourite Cyril Jonard.

"I loved beating the Frenchman successful his backmost yard," Powell said. "I person a batch of respect for the guy. He is simply a 10-time satellite champion. But for me, to beryllium capable to bash that is wherefore I bash it.

"It was hard physically successful the final. I popped my rib successful the semi-final truthful I had to motion that disconnected and calm down aft that and not fto my assemblage get stiff and retrieve successful a mates of hours.

"That is the hardest part, truthful I’m delighted I could travel back, get warmed up and acceptable and springiness a amusement for myself successful the last and triumph different medal for the Powell household."