Australian mens basketball wins gold at Paralympics
Updated
![The Australian Rollers basketball team have won gold against Canada at the Paralympics, 72-60. [Getty]](http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/img/news/base/aus_parabasketball_getty_160908.jpg?gallery<BR> "The Australian Rollers basketball team have won gold against Canada at the Paralympics, 72-60. [Getty]")
The Australian Rollers basketball team have won gold against Canada at the Paralympics, 72-60. [Getty]
The Australian men's wheelchair basketball team and the men's four by 100 metre relay team have won gold in world record time at the Beijing Paralympics.
The Rollers overpowered the defending champions and gold medal favourites Canada in the final 72-60.
The last time Australia won the Paralympic title was in Atlanta in 1996 when the team, captained by Sandy Blythe, defeated the US in the semi-final before beating Great Britain 78-63 to seal the gold medal.
This time the men's team was up against the Canadians, after beating the British in the semi-finals.
Australia's run to the final had been bolstered by strong defence and the points-scoring ability of 4.5-rated forward Justin Eveson (19.6 points a game shooting at 65 per cent from the field) and similarly rated captain Brad Ness (18 points a game at 53 per cent).
Troy Sachs was the dominant player on the court scoring a game high 19 points.
At the Birds Nest stadium the men's classification 4x100m relay team broke the world record by over a second to clinch gold.
The win was particularly special for Tim Sullivan - he became Australia's most successful paralympian winning his 10th gold medal.
The men's wheelchair rugby team was awarded silver, after going down to the United States.
