Commonwealth Games star who had gold medal stripped from her wins title for second time

Commonwealth Games star who had gold medal stripped from her wins title for second time

Commonwealth Games star Melanie Woods has won the women's 1500m T54 gold medal for the second time after her initial victory was stripped. The Scottish wheelchair racer had already triumphed on Wednesday evening, setting a new Games record in the process. But after para-athletics officials ordered the final to be restaged following appeals related to a collision on the opening lap, Woods was forced to do it all over again on Thursday. She duly delivered, surpassing her own record with a time nearly a second quicker than her first victory. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The home crowd roared her down the finishing straight as she secured a gold medal that, this time, she could finally keep. "I'm happy, I'm excited, but it feels like relief, to be honest," Woods told the BBC. "It's created a bit of a storyline, and I feel like people have been following for the plot, so I'm just happy to be able to do it again." In the restaged final, Woods seized control from the gun and never relinquished her lead. LATEST SPORTS NEWS Chelsea escape points deduction after secret FA appeal as club hit with huge fine Emma Raducanu omitted from BJK Cup team as injury fears mount Gianni Infantino's own words come back to bite him as FIFA descends into chaos Mauritius' Noemi Alphonse and Australia's Eliza Ault-Connell pressed her through the early laps, but the Australian dropped off with 200 metres remaining, leaving Woods to fend off Alphonse alone. "It was in my mind 'what have I got left?' and you do question what you've got in your arms," she admitted. "But I just needed to be confident I could stay out in front, and it was nice coming down the home straight and not seeing her wheel moving in front of me." Woods has been a wheelchair user since 2018, when she was struck by a car whilst cycling. Ninety minutes after reclaiming gold, she returned to the track and won her 400m heat. Ellis Kottas, who had taken silver in Wednesday's original race, could not repro