Paralympic Games: Josef Craig storms to record and title

By LIZ BYRNES
Published on 07/09/2012 02:19

Fifteen-year-old schoolboy swimming sensation Josef Craig smashed the world record to become Britain’s youngest 
Paralympic gold medal winner yesterday.

And, afterwards, the South Shields teenager declared: “It’s the happiest day of my life.”

He appeared overcome with emotion after storming to gold in front of a roaring aquatics centre crowd.

Craig, who has cerebral palsy, broke the world record which he had set in his heat in the morning by comfortably winning the 400m final.

Speaking after the win, he said: “I genuinely didn’t think this would happen. I thought, it’s the last 400m of the season, it doesn’t matter if I die at the end, just go for it, it doesn’t matter.

“I didn’t realise that I’d broken the world record, I didn’t think I had it in me. But obviously 
because of this great crowd again and all this support, I 
managed to.

“It means more than anything in the world. It’s the happiest day of my life.

Craig, who was struck down with Grave’s disease last year, a thyroid condition which causes substantial weight loss, was widely tipped to succeed at the Rio games in 2016, but stunned everyone with his dramatic win.

Speaking straight after the race, his beaming mum, Kim, said: “I watched him from the poolside. I think I am about to pass out. I am so proud.”