Gold for Aussie engineer at the Paralympics Monday, 19 September 2016

Engineering student James Turner is celebrating after winning a gold medal in world record time on the second last day of the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Turner is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Wollongong and was originally hoping to go to Rio as a footballer. Unfortunately, the Australian 7-a-side team the Pararoos didn't qualify.

Undeterred, Turner switched his training to athletics.

"I’ve trained in athletics since I was about eight years old and always been very competitive with my twin sister Hayley," he said.

"She was always better than me and that pushed me harder to get better.”

He chose the 800m in the T36 category for athletes with cerebral palsy and, at the Australian Athletics Championships earlier this year, he recorded a qualifying time for the Paralympics. Later at an International Paralympic Committee Grand Prix event, he clocked the third fastest time of the year and felt he was a real chance for a medal in Rio.

In the final, he ran hard early, establishing a good lead over his rivals in the first lap, then maintained that gap to the end. His time of 2 minutes 2.39 seconds smashed the previous record of 2:05.05 held by Russian Evgenil Shvetsov.

“I thought I’d run fast but not that fast," he said.

“I wanted to stick to my splits that my coach Robbo (Brett Robinson) has taught me to do and I knew if I did that I could pull it off.”

After the race, the 20-year-old said he was undecided on whether to pursue athletics or football to the next Paralympics in Tokyo in 2020.

"If I could do both that would be great but I'm not sure if I'd be allowed to do both," he said.

"It would be a very tough choice to make and I think I'd have to wait till that day."

Turner said he had deferred a semester of study to concentrate on the Paralympics but was looking forward to returning to engineering.

[James Turner waves the Australian flag after his victory in Rio. Photo: Australian Paralympic Committee]

Paralympian engineers get ready to go for gold