Heat is on for Deaflympics athletes

From: Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia - Jan 11, 2005

Sarah Wotherspoon
11jan05

SWELTERING conditions yesterday caused half the field in the Deaflympics road race to withdraw.

As the temperature pushed the 30C mark, many cyclists began feeling the heat on the gruelling 100km race in Buninyong, near Ballarat.

One man who wasn't pulling out was Australian gold medallist Reece-Emerson van Beek, who won the time trial event on Saturday night.

Unfortunately, van Beek couldn't match that performance and crossed the finish line in eight place.

The gold medal went to David Cloux, of France, and silver to teammate Bernard Braugola.

Australians Wendy Devlin and Jina Chapman took bronze in the women's tenpin bowling on Sunday night with a score of 2187.

This is the first Deaflympics Devlin, 39, and Chapman, 53, have competed at, after bowling together at the Australian Deaf Games in Sydney in 2003.

Chapman will celebrate her win by watching her husband in the men's tenpin bowling competition tomorrow.

On Day 6 of the competition, Australia is sitting ninth on the medal tally with two gold, one silver and a bronze.

The top three nations are Russia, Ukraine and South Africa.

The Australian team hopes to boost its tally in coming days with competitors in the swimming and basketball looking on track for a win.

Our men's basketball team yesterday thrashed New Zealand 144 to 40.

The Aussie team's assault was led by captain Sam Quinn, who scored 32 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Australia plays Japan today at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.

At the Port Melbourne International Shooting Club yesterday, Australia's oldest Deaflympian drew his pistol for a shot at gold.

In his first Deaflympic Games, Gary Brosche, 65, shot 326 in the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol, finishing ninth.

Today's highlights include athletics finals, women's volleyball semi-finals and tennis mixed doubles semi-finals.

© Herald and Weekly Times