Halesowen's Maddie Down makes a first final in Paris

The 16-year-old, from Halesowen, stormed to a personal best of 12.93s in the heats of the women’s T38 100m to qualify for a maiden final at Paris 2024.

Down eventually finished eighth overall in the final, unable to reach her top form once more at the Stade de France but took great confidence from the experience ahead of what is shaping up to be a memorable athletics career.

“It feels pretty cool and a bit surreal,” she Down, who is part of Aldi’s Nearest and Dearest programme in partnership with Team GB, helping to maximise support and minimise potential distractions for athletes so that they can focus on their performance. “I came into the Games wanting to make the final and I did.

“It was against such a great category, and everyone was amazing so to just qualify for the final was amazing and a dream come true. I know now that I can do it.

“Coming in at 16, I’ve just finished my GCSEs, but it’s been a great experience and I’m still not done yet so we will just have to see what happens.”

And the GCSEs went about as well as her Paralympics debut according to Down.

She added: “They went alright, I got what I needed which was really good.”

The teenager will return to the Stade de France on September 5 for the women’s long jump.

It’s an event she won Commonwealth Youth Games gold in last summer just months after she fractured her back, unable to jump until mere weeks before she headed out to Trinidad & Tobago to compete.

But with one Paralympic final already under her belt, Down revealed that she’s taking the same approach this time round and is ready to see what happens with plenty of experience still to come.

“I think I’m going to go into it with an open mind and whatever happens on the day,” she said. “You can’t control what others do so I’m just going to see what happens.”

n Aldi are proud Official Partners of Team GB & ParalympicsGB, supporting all athletes through to Paris 2024.