Nathan Maguire admits his World Championship rivals were simply too hot to handle after narrowly missing out on a medal in New Delhi.
The Salford wheelchair racer, 28, finished fourth in his T54 400m final as Tunisian Yassine Gharbi grabbed gold in championship record time.
Gharbi, 35, is the world record holder over the distance and showed exactly why as he turned on the afterburners on the home straight to beat both Thailand’s Athiwat Paeng-Nuea and China’s Dai Yunqiang to gold.
Maguire, who will also compete in the 800m and 1500m here in New Delhi, took pride in his performance and saluted his opponents for having just too much firepower in the sweltering sub-continental conditions.
“That was the best I had today – it was really, really fast,” he said.
“It’s so hot out there – the stadium just keeps the heat in.
“I’m actually really happy with that race – it was quicker than yesterday, and it was my fourth fastest time this year, so you can’t really ask for much more than that.
“He’s the world record holder so you never know what he’s going to pull out of the bag – he’s in the 800m and the 1500m as well so he’s going to be wanting to use that speed he had in the final 100m, and I want to do exactly the same.”
Maguire, along with wife and nine-time Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft, are two of over 30 British athletes out in the Indian capital, with the team now sponsored by official finance partner Novuna.
He will now turn his attention to the longer 800m and 1500m events later in the week.
Maguire, who finished strongly down the home straight in the 400m, added: “That definitely bodes well.
“It’s the fastest wins, and if you’re in a good position coming into the last lap, you just have to use your speed and hopefully get to the finish line first.”
Novuna is the Official Finance Partner of British Athletics and proud sponsor of the GB & NI Athletics Team. From everyday goals to world-class dreams, Novuna helps millions across the UK – backing British businesses, supporting individuals’ plans, and supporting British Athletics on the global stage. Find out more at www.novuna.co.uk
Featured Image: Marcus Hartmann – Photography
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