Louise Sugden claimed a dream Paralympic bronze that rewarded her decision to switch sports from basketball to powerlifting.
The Newbury star competed in wheelchair basketball at London 2012, took up powerlifting in 2017 and four years later reached the podium in Tokyo.
Competing in the -86kg category, Sugden lifted a personal best of 127kg in the first round but her hopes hung by a thread when she missed 131kg in the second.
The 37-year-old then successfully pressed 131kg in the final round, overturned on appeal after judges ruled it a bad lift at the first time of asking.
“I couldn’t believe it, I’m still thinking I’m going to wake up at some point,” said Sugden, who beat Egypt’s Amany Ali to bronze on account of her weighing less.
“I’ve got a great coaching team, I’ve worked really hard and I’m proud that it has paid off. After the second lift, I was so annoyed with myself for not getting it. That gave me that fire I needed to get the last one.
“We knew we are pushing other people to their limits with that weight. I was there as well, but we knew…
