Jessica Lewis On Qualifying Quest In Kobe
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Jessica Lewis said she is confident of qualifying for the Paralympics in Paris by finishing in the top two in the T53 100 metres at the Para Athletics World Championships in Kobe, Japan.
Lewis arrived in Japan’s seventh largest city seven days ago and races in the T53 100 tomorrow [5.15 am] and the T53 400 on Thursday [7.15 am].
Her races will be live-streamed on the Paralympic Games YouTube Channel.
“If I finish in the top two in either race – although my 100 is my best shot – it will guarantee me a spot at Paris,” Lewis told Bernews.
“I’ve had some fast starts in practice, and I’m excited to put it all together in a race.
“My main focus is the 100 – although I’d love a PB in both events. Not all my class is here, despite it being a world championships, so my field will be slightly smaller.”
Should Lewis miss out on a top-two finish, she will still be well-positioned to reach Paris through the International Paralympic Committee [IPC] high-performance slots.
“My 100 times at the Parapan Am Games [in Chile in November last year] and in Dubai [the 15th Fazza International Para Athletic Grand Prix in February] were well under the IPC standard of 18.25,” Lewis said.
“Those spots don’t get announced until the end of June, however, which will cut it a bit fine, so it would be nice to achieve qualification in Kobe.”
The 31-year-old has made significant career changes, moving to Victoria, British Columbia, to train at the Athletics Canada West Hub under her new coach, Geoff Harris.
She has also made positional alterations to her racing chair in pursuit of faster times.
“I’m focusing on technique and the alterations I’ve made, so when the nerves kick in on the start-line, I can put those changes into play,” said Lewis, who has races lined up in Switzerland, Paris, Finland, and Montreal next month.
“We’ve made some more changes to my race chair. I’ve started using disc wheels instead of forespoke. It’s helped me become more stable in the 100 and 400.”
More than 1,000 athletes from 100-plus nations are competing in 168 medal events [92 male and 75 female and one mixed] at the Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium.
Go for it Jessica. You can do this