Silver medalist heading home from Delhi

Commonwealth Games Silver Medalist Jessica Hamill is on her way home from the Games early, arriving back in New Zealand on Saturday.

Hamill will be the first of the New Zealand contingent from the Commonwealth Games to return to New Zealand and she happily has the silverware in tow.

The Invercargill Paralympic athlete claimed silver after throwing a distance of 7.17metres in the F34 Shot Put event.

Her closest rival, Australian Louise Ellery, threw a distance of 6.17metres but after adjustments due to the mixed classification event, Hamill, 20 was knocked off top spot. She was comfortably ahead of third-placed Gemma Prescott of England.

Hamill threw consistently, with five of her throws topping 7m, though none approached her personal best of 7.43m.

Initially Hamill was a little disappointed not to have reached her personal best, but once the reality of the performance set in, she was delighted to have earned a silver medal.

Hamill won’t have long to celebrate her medal as when she arrives home on Saturday she will begin building up to the IPC Athletics World Championships in Christchurch in January 2011.

Jessica Hamill – Flights

Arrives Auckland 9th October 10:00am Flight NZ38

Arrives Christchurch 9th October 12:50pm Flight NZ517

Arrives Invercargill 9th October 2:55pm Flight NZ5603

Background

The Commonwealth Games has 15 medal events for Elite Athletes with a Disability. The disability sport events were first incorporated into the Commonwealth Games in 2002 in Manchester. New Zealand had two disabled athletes in Delhi, Jessica Hamill and Matthew Lack who will compete in his heats of the men’s T54 1500m Friday evening (New Zealand time).