Paralympics gold medallist Anna Grimaldi admits a tidal wave of social media support has contributed to her shock victory over 200 metres at Paris.
The day after completely missing the T47 long jump podium — an event she had won at two previous Games at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 — the Kiwi athlete had to pick herself up from her disappointment to contest an event she had barely taken seriously across her illustrious career.
Little did she know the long sprint would provide a road to redemption — and a lifeline to a NZ team facing the very real prospect of missing gold altogether at Paris.
"I'd like to thank everyone back home," she told TVNZ. "I've never had so much positive feedback, so much love given to me on social media… everyone has been incredibly kind about the long jump yesterday.
"It's meant a great deal to me and really shocked me to get so many nice comments. I can’t thank you all enough.
The Kiwi athlete stormed to victory over 200 metres. (Source: TVNZ)
"My family just told me that they loved me, and to go out and have fun, and I think that’s what we did. I knew it was for me to find my feet and build confidence."
While Grimaldi's long jump credentials are unquestioned, she is also gaining a reputation as a sprinter, claiming bronze over 100 metres earlier in the Paris programme. Even that result did not hint at the surprise outcome over the half lap.
"I think I know I've got a bit of dog in me and I can push myself really hard," she said. "That was what this event was about for me, it was about not being scared of what I could do."
Grimaldi, 27, has only contested 200 metres twice at international level. In 2016, she was disqualified for running out of her lane at the Rio Paralympics and the following year, she broke her foot running the distance at the world para championships.
"There was a bit of vengeance today," she said. "I wanted to get one back on it.
"It had been sad to let it go, but in 2017, we decided I wouldn't run them anymore, because it was too risky. Last year, at the world champs, I watched the final and messaged my coach, saying it was time to have conversations about doing 200 again.
“We started training a bit too hard and I started getting some stress reaction in both fibulas, and had to have a few months off running. Just imagine if we’d been able to train the whole time.”
Grimaldi’s 25.09s heat was more than a second quicker than her previous best and an Oceania record, but her 24.75s final was in another stratosphere. She admits the result opens a new door for her future.
“It's a nice nod to a direction we may go to, over the next cycle,” she said. “We'd be silly not to look into this more.”
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