Letter perfect as Turner roars to Paralympic gold

James Turner is lauding the influence of coach Iryna Dvoskina after a raceday letter helped him win the 100m Paralympic final (T36) on top of his 400m crown.

Turner will return to Australia next week a double gold medallist after bursting out of the blocks at the Stade de France on Saturday to equal the Paralympic record with a time of 11.85secs.

Australia has won just three gold medals in athletics in Paris, with Turner providing two and long-jumper Vanessa Low adding the third.

Success in the 100m meant a lot to Turner, who has been stewing on his second-place finish from Tokyo for the last three years.

And he’s found that pre-race letters from Ukrainian coach Dvoskina have boosted his confidence.

Turner believes the letters have helped calm his nerves and ready him to hit the track fast.

“Redemption for me, but also vindication for my coach, Iryna... This is her 72nd major champs medal for Australia since 2003,” Turner said.

“She’s so wonderful, she dedicates her whole life to athletics.

“She sent me her usual letter (this morning). She said that I’ve done all the work, the track will suit me and she said she knows I can do it."

James Turner.
James Turner leans for the line to win the men's 100m T36 final.

Turner reckons he barely slept before his 400m win earlier this week but Dvoskina’s calming influence helped pave his path to glory.

Her steadying presence has helped Turner in his build-up to the Games where he has been worried about the after-effects of a bout of glandular fever.

Of his two races he argued the 100m and the need for a fast start had been impacted the most by his brush with illness.

“It was looking a bit doubtful there for a minute,” Turner said.

“But the key today was just following my own race plan, not thinking about what the other athletes are doing.

“I still work with a psychologist too, every athlete needs to. To run 400m, you have to be a bit crazy, so that mental work is crucial.

“Before the 400 final here I barely slept. I ran the race in my head 10, 15 times before I got going. But Iryna sat me down and told me how ready I was.”

Elsewhere, on Saturday Rheed McCracken clinched a bronze in the 800m (T34) and Reece Langdon won the same medal in the 1500m (T38).

Langdon had to leave his charge for the line late, with the 28-year-old ousting Australia teammate Angus Hincksman for a spot on the podium. 

"Tactically, I wasn't the best today, I made a lot of mistakes and I shouldn't have got boxed in," Langdon said.

"I know I'm much quicker than that, I'll learn from this and come back stronger." 

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store