The Fijian flag was flying high at the London Olympic Stadium yesterday with the happiest man on the planet at the time, Fiji paralympian Iliesa Delana, proudly running around the track.

The photo was priceless as Delana who only has one leg ran in Fijian colours with only one crutch.

He ran, he smiled, he acknowledged the 80,000 plus crowd in the stadium as he created history yesterday by winning Fiji’s first ever gold in the Paralympic Games.

This is also Fiji’s first ever medal in the games.

Delana won gold in the high jump F42 category for single leg amputees with a jump of 1.74 metres setting a new Oceania record in the process and becoming the first athlete ever in Fiji and the Pacific to win a gold medal in the Paralympic Games.

Two other athletes cleared the bar at 1.74 metres but Delana was declared the winner after clearing the bar on his first attempt.

Delana beat athletes from India, Poland, China, Brazil, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

Delana said victory is sweeter when you look back and see the challenges that you have endured along the way.

Delana recalled those rainy days when he used to train at the National Stadium with his coach Fred Fatiaki.

They had no financial assistance.

The 27-year-old Fiji Sportsman of the Year remembers times when he walked with his coach to the National Stadium because they were short of bus fare.

Speaking from London, Delana said he did not let the challenges deter him from losing sight of his goal.