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23:51

Germany claim women's crown

Germany claimed women's Wheelchair Basketball gold for the first time as they pulled away to beat Australia 58-44 in the final.
The German team celebrate winning the gold medal in the women's Wheelchair Basketball
The German team celebrate winning the gold medal in the women's Wheelchair Basketball on Day 9 of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Basketball Arena.

In front of an impressive crowd of 12,985 inside the North Greenwich Arena, the silver medallists from Beijing 2008 went one better as they pulled away from a tenacious Australian team late on.

With their men in tomorrow's final against Canada, Australia had hoped this would be the first part of a glorious double, and they burst into a 10-4 lead in the first quarter.

But Mareike Adermann's free throws sparked a 10-0 Germany run to give them a lead they never surrendered.

Not that Australia made it easy in a tough scrap.

Several times Germany thought they had broken free only to see the Gliders come back.

Gesche Schuenemann had the first points of the third quarter to make it 30-19, but Australia responded to bring it back to 32-26 on a big three from Kylie Gauci.

They cut the gap to four early in the fourth, but then watched Germany ruthlessly pull clear down the stretch, with a 6-0 run making it 52-40 on Adermann's shot with 3:17 to go.

Adermann led Germany with 19 points while Annika Zeyen had 12 and Marina Mohnen 11.

Gauci had 15 points for Australia, who also moved one step up the podium after taking bronze in Beijing.

'It is amazing,' said Adermann. 'I can't realise it right now. It was an awesome game. We just pulled it together. We played as a team and it worked.

 

It was an awesome game. We just pulled it together. We played as a team and it worked.

Mareike Adermann

'For sure, it is the biggest day [of my career].'

Earlier, Inge Huitzing and Mariska Beijer led the Netherlands to bronze, combining to score 53 points in their 71-47 win over the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 champions the USA.

Huitzing had 26 points and Beijer 27 as they led virtually throughout.

'I was really excited at the beginning of the tournament and now as bronze medal winners I am so, so excited,' said the 21-year-old Beijer, playing in her first Paralympic Games.

'It was fantastic playing here. I have never played before such a big crowd before and to beat the gold medal winners from Beijing is just amazing.'


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09
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