2016 Rio Paralympics: Michael Roeger breaks through for first medal at third time of asking

IT’S taken 12 years, three Paralympics and a major Games health scare, but Aussie middle distance runner Michael Roeger finally has his medal.

Michael Roeger wanted gold but is more than content with bronze.

IT’S taken 12 years, three Paralympics and a major Games health scare, but Michael Roeger finally has his medal.

The middle distance runner raised in South Australian wine hamlet of Langhorne Creek secured bronze in the 1500m for his T46 class, ending the disappointment of his two previous Paralympics campaigns.

Roeger, 28, said he had been targeting gold but was satisfied to break his Games medal duck.

“It’s a bit hard to swallow at the moment because I wanted the gold,” he said.

“But I’m still proud of the bronze, and I hope I did Australia proud.

“Other people get medals at 16 years of age. But I’m 28. It’s taken me three Games to get this medal so I’m going to enjoy it.”

Roeger, now based in Canberra, was born without the lower part of his right arm and shocks people with the story that he lost it in a brush with a Northern Territory crocodile.

Michael Roeger grabbed bronze in the T46 1500m.

The runner had been a strong pre-Games chance to medal in the 800m in London when, the night before competition, he fell ill with a gastro-intestinal complaint.

He attempted the heats phase but was forced to retire – and even months later, while recovering at home in Canberra, he feared the ordeal would rule him out of running competitively again.

“In hindsight, it’s a medal. It’s taken me three Paralympics to get a medal,” Roeger said.

“It’s taken me so long, so I just have to be happy with that after not finishing London (2012) because of health issues.

“I had a gastro-intestinal bleed, lost four litres of blood and needed a transfusion. I had to pull out.

“It was a difficult four years. My coach (Philo Saunders) picked me up and got me here and I can’t thank him enough.

“I really wish I’d got this (a gold medal) for him.”

Originally published as 2016 Rio Paralympics: Michael Roeger breaks through for first medal at third time of asking