2024-09-05 14:40:02
Lucky number 14
Noelle Malkamaki of the USA became the first women’s F46 shot putter to throw 14 metres, breaking her own world record twice en route to gold.
“I woke up this morning and the goal was to hit that 14 metres. When I saw I was the 14th in the throwing order, I thought, ‘Yeah, I’m going to get this done today’. I’m super excited about it.”
With gold in the women’s discus F41, Tunisia’s Raoua Tlili has now won both the shot put and discus Paralympic titles at three consecutive Games.
Switzerland’s Catherine Debrunner, who is currently the one to beat at the Stade de France, took silver in the women’s 100m T53, with Great Britain’s Samantha Kinghorn finishing first.
“No more ‘Silver Sammi’. I wonder what they’ll come up with now. I sobbed the whole way round my victory lap. Just sobbed the whole time,” said Kinghorn.
“In Tokyo I won my first Paralympic medals but with no one in the stands, and that was pretty heartbreaking. So to see all my family – I’ve got 29 people out there – with posters of my face, to do it in front of them is so incredibly special.”
Game, set, gold
Dutch athletes Sam Schroder and Niels Vink became the first Paris 2024 wheelchair tennis champions on Wednesday, winning two straight sets against Great Britain’s Andy Lapthorne and Gregory Slade to retain their quad doubles Paralympic title.
“It was very special. It was mainly because it’s the second gold medal already in such a short career, but also, in Tokyo, we couldn’t have any friends, family or sponsors watching us.
“Today, there were a bunch of people from both sides to celebrate and be all together. That made it extra special for me,” said Schroder, who will now face Vink in the quad singles final on day eight.
South Africa’s Donald Ramphadi and Lucas Sithole won a close quad doubles bronze medal match against Brazil’s Leandro Pena and Ymanitu Silva for Africa’s first-ever Paralympic medal in wheelchair tennis.
“This venue keeps adding. I’m very excited that I did it again at Roland-Garros,” said Ramphadi. “Last year, I won my first Grand Slam here on my birthday. Now I’ve won the bronze.”
30 for Jessica Long
The USA’s Jessica Long hit a major milestone on Wednesday, winning her 30th Paralympic medal with gold in the women’s 400m freestyle S8. She has now won at least one gold medal at every Paralympic Games since Athens 2004.
Alice Tai of Great Britain finished behind Long for silver to complete her Paris 2024 collection.
“She hadn’t medalled in the first couple of events, and people forgot what a legend she was,” Tai said of Long. “I had someone ask me if she wasn’t a good swimmer any more, and that really upset me, because she’s phenomenal, she’s everyone’s hero here.
“When I had my amputation, she messaged me straight away to ask if I needed any help or advice. She’s been a really great rival and great helping me through one of the hardest parts of my life.”
Ukraine won three gold medals at La Défense Arena on day seven. Andrii Trusov broke his own world record in the men’s 50m freestyle S7 to claim first place, with Yaroslav Denysenko winning his first-ever Paralympic gold in the men’s 100m freestyle S10. Ukraine won the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay 49 points event as well.
“It was my life’s dream,” said Denysenko. “Since I was five years old, my only wish for my birthdays and every other holiday was to win the gold Paralympic medal, and it came true.”
Mexico’s Arnulfo Castorena won his fourth Paralympic gold in the men’s 50m breaststroke SB2, 24 years after winning his first at Sydney 2000. At 46 years old, Castorena is 32 years older than 14-year-old Ismail Barlov of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who took silver.
Wheelchair fencing déjà vu
It was déjà vu for Thailand’s Saysunee Jana and China’s Xiao Rong, who faced each other in a gold medal bout for the second time in as many days.
The result mirrored Tuesday’s, with Jana winning against Xiao to claim gold, this time in the women’s foil category B.
Great Britain’s Dimitri Coutya prevented China’s Feng Yanke from winning a third consecutive men’s foil category B gold, improving upon his bronze from Tokyo 2020.
“I’ve faced him many times and he’s always been my top competitor. I knew that the Chinese team in general are very strong, him especially. I consider him one of the best athletes around,” Coutya said of Feng.
“I knew that if I actually wanted to win a Paralympic gold medal I would have to beat him. He’s on his best form, so I told myself to get into the best possible mindset and take that all the way through. And that’s what happened in the match.”
Singh makes history for India
India’s Harvinder Singh came back from a ninth place placement in the initial ranking round of the men’s individual recurve open competition to claim gold, becoming India’s first Paralympic or Olympic archery gold medallist.
“Unfortunately, I slipped to ninth in qualification (last Thursday), but I just made my emotions strong and just focused on my next match, because only then can I move into other rounds and, one by one, one match, one match, then finally the gold.”
Singh convincingly beat Lukasz Ciszek of Poland 6-0 in the gold medal match-up.
Mission accomplished at Clichy-sous-bois
It was mission accomplished for Paralympic legends and Para cyclists Sarah Storey and Oksana Masters on Wednesday, with Storey defending her women’s C5 individual time trial gold and Masters her women’s H4-5 individual time trial title.
“This is definitely one of my favourites,” said Masters. “I mean, defending time trial Paralympic champion in cycling. I never saw this coming at all. In Paris, too.
“This is just the home of cycling, the most picturesque place to do this. This is so special entirely. I just don’t think I’m comprehending what just happened at all.”
Story battled back from a seven-second deficit at the first time-check to win her 18th Paralympic gold.
Dutch cyclist Tristan Bangma, who won gold on the track in the men’s B 4000m individual pursuit, brought his success to the road, winning the men’s B individual time trial and finishing 12.71 seconds ahead of silver medallist Elie de Carvalho.
“I think what’s most important is the fact we’ve won. That’s what we came for. The preparations were amazing, we are super well-prepared and strong,” said Bangma.
“After Tokyo (2020), a lot of time and money has gone into the development of our tandem. Hours, tears and frustration went into preparing the best tandem possible and I think this is the result of that.”
Netherlands had a strong performance on the first day of the Para cycling road competition, with five gold medals.
Para powerlifting lifts off
The first four Paris 2024 Para powerlifting champions have been decided, with Jordan’s Omar Qarada defending his title in the men’s up to 49kg. Qarada attempted a world record lift of 185kg, but failed, winning on a lift of 181kg—and claiming that his next goal is to break the world record, which is currently held by bronze medallist Le Van Cong of Vietnam.
China won both available women’s golds, with Guo Lingling breaking the world record in the up to 45kg event and Cui Zhe winning her first Paralympic title in the up to 41kg final.
“I’ve kept going for so many years and it definitely hasn’t been the easiest,” said Cui.
“I’ve felt that I’ve had a mission that I’ve never completed. To become a Paralympic champion has always been my target and I’ve always had faith in getting it done.”
Kazakhstan’s David Degtyarev, the favourite in the men’s up to 54kg, won gold to secure back-to-back Paralympic titles.
Demi and Daula take gold
The Château de Versailles was a stunning backdrop to Wednesday’s Para equestrian events, which saw two Dutch riders make the individual event grade IV podium.
Demi Haerkens won gold on her Paralympic debut, with Sanne Voets taking silver.
“I am very pleased and overwhelmed,” said Haerkens.
“It was such a lovely ride. I dreamed of this ride. She (her horse, Daula) was so focused with such lovely quality and softness. I am very happy to perform in this arena with such a quality horse.”
Michele George of Belgium won her seventh Paralympic medal with gold in the individual event grade V, and noted the difference between this medal and the one she won in Tokyo.
“She (her horse, Best of 8) was a little bit tense at the start, a bit spooky. She doesn’t know the public very well, like at the last Paralympics in Tokyo, when there was no one because of Covid. That was the big question mark I had with her, how she would react to the public because she is very sensitive. But she was amazing.”
Teammate versus teammate
It was an all China Para table tennis women’s singles WS5 final, with Zhang Bian beating Pan Jiamin to win her eighth Paralympic gold
“I think the most important thing is that I stayed calm and steady, that makes me feel like I have the game won,” said Zhang.
“We are teammates and she has beaten me in the past, so the important thing is adjusting my own attitude.”
Australia’s Qian Yang won her second gold medal of Paris 2024, convincingly winning three straight sets against Poland’s Natalia Partyka.
“I’m very excited and happy to have this, after Tokyo,” said Yang. “Before the match, I didn’t expect that I would win. But I prepared well, I tried to predict where Natalia was going to hit to me.”
Patryk Chojnowski of Poland claimed his second gold of the Games as well, this time winning the men’s singles MS10 final.
First-time shooting Para sport medallists
The penultimate day of shooting Para sport competition saw a number of first-time Paralympic medallists make the podium.
Despite coming 20th in the P1 men’s 10m air pistol SH1 on 30 August, Italy’s Davide Franceschetti rebounded for Wednesday’s P4 mixed 50m pistol SH1, winning bronze.
“I have negative feelings about my first (session) when I lost, but I learned. I used everything I learned from the first game, and this is the result.”
While Dragan Ristic defended his R9 mixed 50m rifle prone SH2 title, silver went to Georgia’s Vladimer Tchintcharauli, whose previous best Paralympic result in the event was 20th at Tokyo 2020. Bronze went to a first-time Paralympic medallist as well, Team GB’s Tim Jeffery.
