Great Britain's Paralympic wheelchair sprinter Hannah Cockroft has admitted that she was stunned by the crowd in the Olympic Stadium during her heat for the women's T34 100m.
The gold-medal favourite eased into the final by setting a Paralympic record earlier today.
"I tried not to let [the atmosphere] get to me and I focused on what I had to do," said Cockroft. "It was getting to my mind a little bit, but I said to myself, 'concentrate on the speed'.
"It was a little mind-blowing out there, but it seemed to work. I've never competed in front of so many people before. When they said my name, the crowd went mental and I was a little scared.
"I was told exactly what to focus on, what speed I needed to take. And I nailed it. It was just a bit surreal.I'm in the best shape of my life, so if one of the girls beats me then they really will be the best in the world."
Cockroft will line up with her competitors at 8pm with hopes of clinching a gold medal.
Danielle Joynson
