Key events
Gia Pergolini claims USA’s first gold medal in the 2024 Paralympics
She won this event in 2021 at age 17, and while she was just shy of her world and Paralympic records (1:04.93 to 1:04.64), she claimed a convincing 2.34-second win. Ireland’s Roisin Ni Riain is the silver medalist, and Italy’s Carlotta Gilli has claimed her second medal of the Games after her gold yesterday.
Will this be the first US gold medal?
It’s the women’s S13 100m backstroke. Gia Pergolini has the record.
And she has a big lead halfway through.
Hello GB …
The last events of interest for the British audience today will be (in your home time zone):
19:21: Women’s SB8 100m breaststroke, with Brock Whiston qualifying in impressive fashion.
19:30: Claire Taggart in boccia pool play.
20:02: Two runners in the men’s T54 5,000m heats.
20:40: Two players in boccia pool play.
And maybe some more badminton. Jack Shephard is currently up one set to nil. Other than that, the schedule has gone all over the place.
Brazil’s Petrucio Ferreira dos Santos three-peats; USA’s Korban Best takes silver.
Dos Santos has dominated the men’s T47 (upper limb impairment) 100m for some time, but Best took off into an early lead. The Brazilian superstar ran him down to finish in 10.68, but Best held on for silver with a personal best of 10.75.
That’s the first non-swimming medal for the USA in this year’s Paralympics. Still no gold medals in any event.
Hello USA …
We’ll try to get back to the pool at 13:51 Eastern time, where the USA have two athletes in the women’s S13 100m backstroke final. They’ll also be in the mixed 4x50m freestyle (20 points) relay at 14:44.
13:57 Jaleen Roberts and Taylor Swanson in the women’s T37 200m final
15:02 Three runners in the men’s T54 5,000m heats.
Also some tennis players who’ve been waiting very patiently through the rain.
In the meantime, we have another medal to report …
Hello Australia …
For anyone following Australian athletes in the middle of the night, you’ll want to see the following (for synchronization purposes – it is currently 19:42 in Paris and 03:42 in Sydney):
In progress: Rosemary Little and Sarah Clifton-Bligh in the F32 club throw, and Australia lead France 14-12 in wheelchair rugby.
20:14 Paris time (or 30 minutes from now): Timothy Hodge in the men’s SB8 100m breaststroke.
20:44: Mixed 4x50m freestyle (20 classification points total) relay.
21:02: Samuel Rizzo in the men’s T54 5,000m heats.
Medalists in the pool …
It’s nice when they run men’s and women’s events in the same discipline back-to-back, if for no other reason than our ability to give commentary without repeating “SB9 100m breaststroke.”
Italy’s Stefano Raimondi repeated his gold-medal performance from Tokyo to win the men’s race, with France’s Hector Denayer and Germany’s Maurice Wetekam rounding out the podium.
The Netherlands’ Chantalle Zijderfeld has also gone back-to-back, finishing nearly three seconds behind her world and Paralympic record pace but comfortably ahead of China’s Zhang Meng and fellow Netherlands swimmer Lisa Kruger.
The action at the track is getting a little embarrassing.
We’re seeing the final for the men’s T11 long jump. T11 means “visually impaired.” The jumpers are reliant on assistants who stand at the edge of the runway and yell instructions.
That requires a bit of silence, as we see in goalball and soccer, where athletes are using their ears rather than their eyes.
The assistant for China’s Chen Shichang motioned for the crowd to be quiet while they prepared for his jump. Some of the spectators got the message, some didn’t.
Worse – the PA announcer decided this was the perfect time to blast his voice for the benefit of the whole stadium, and the crowd roared in response.
A very frustrated assistant trotted down the runway to tell Chen they were going to wait a bit.
He still managed the second-best jump so far. China, a Paralympic power, are positioned for a sweep at the moment, though it’s early.
Gold for Belgium’s Maxime Carabin in the men’s T52 (wheelchair) 400m. He wasn’t close to his world record of 52.00 but was a bit closer to the Paralympic record of 54.48 he set in qualifying. His time of 55.10 in these conditions is perfectly … well, golden.
The rain has subsided, it seems, and tennis has resumed on the outdoor courts at Roland Garros. Australia’s Anderson Parker is on the verge of leveling his match with Argentina’s Ezequiel Casco.
Hello from the USA, where the country’s citizens are celebrating a total of …
… zero gold medals.
Wait, really? That can’t be right.
(Checks results …)
Huh. Interesting. And we just saw a big favorite, Anastasia Pagonis, finish fourth in swimming.
The USA also have tough losses today in team sports, with the biggest shock being a 3-1 loss by the back-to-back defending champion women’s sitting volleyball team to China. The men’s goalball team dropped its group opener 13-8 to Brazil, while the wheelchair rugby team dropped a 45-42 decision to Japan despite 19 tries by the irrepressible Chuck Aoki and nine by Sarah Adam, the first US woman to play Paralympic wheelchair rugby.
How soon will that change? Over to the track we go …
(Or the pool …)
That’s my stint done on a golden day for ParalympicsGB, and now my colleague Beau Dure will offer a more Stateside angle.
The women’s S11 400m freestyle final sees twin sisters Scarlett and Eliza Humphrey in lanes seven and eight go for a medal, but they are lagging behind Lisette Bruinsma from the Netherlands, who is looking good for gold. The Humphreys unable to affect a race where China’s Zhang and Daria Lukianenko of the Neutral team follow in behind for silver and bronze.
By the way: David Kratochvil of Czech Republic won the gold medal in the men’s event.
Britain’s Beth Munro, who took silver in Tokyo, has rather surprisingly crashed out of the Taekwondo, falling short in the repechage, and with a significant following behind her in Paris too.
Ade Adepitan on the continuing ability of the Paralympics to put youth to the fore.
Maisie Summers-Newton wins medley gold for ParalympicsGB
Next, the women’s 200m individual SM6 medley: the American Ellie Marks is the leading swimmer but GB’s Maisie Summers-Newton is up there. And she leads through the breaststroke leg, and the rest of the medals are up for grabs. China’s Liu is in second, and Marks in third. Summers-Newton demolishes the field and retains her title. What a swim that was. The rest had no answer.
China’s Wang leads early on, with Bruce Dee quite a way back as they enter the second half of the race. He’s in seventh, and Yang Hong is ahead of Crispin with Dee in fourth as they enter the freestyle leg. Yang takes gold, Crispin Corzo of Colombia in silver, and Glock of Brazil raced home for bronze. Dee finished fourth. No disgrace, that was won by a world record time.
Now for the men’s 200m medley SM6, with Bruce Dee going for Britain and with his own cheerleading squad behind him. This is a big one.
Gold for Kearney and Ukraine, too
The races have come in thick and fast, with the S5 Men’s 100 metre freestyle final won by Oleksandr Komarov, from Mariupol. What a story.
And in the women’s equivalent, it’s Tully Kearney winning her second gold the meet. Huge smile as she brings it home.
Two hugely emotional wins there.
After a golden afternoon for Paralympics GB in the the velodrome, it’s to the pool we turn, with 14 finals to come.
Gold medallist Jaco van Gass on why this Paralympics might mean more than the Covid-stricken Tokyo version: “I stood on top of the podium looking into the stands in Tokyo and there was no-one. I knew from that second on, I would have to try again knowing that Paris was next, knowing that we’ll have those friends and family here. I had lots of adventures along the way but I kept with the bike.”
Jordan and Khan win women’s B 1000m Time Trial tandem final
Off go Jordan and Khan, who like to start slow, and they whittle the time down, and it goes to the wire, the back straight beckons. Australia’s Gallagher claps the winners. Nice sporting behaviour, the Brits won by half a second. They smashed it. GB’s Sophie Unwin and her pilot Jenny Holl take bronze.
Britain’s riders denied by Australia’s pair of Gallagher and Ward, who power along, and then squeak over the line just as they make it across. 1:07.533 is the time to beat, and it’s Lizzie Jordan and Danni Khan who have the opportunity.
Sophie Unwin, with Jenny Holl her pilot, sets off after her GB teammates’s time, and they go below the Fachie time and there’s just two riders left. A bronze has been guaranteed. 1:07.879 is the time to beat.
Now, it’s the Women’s B 1000m Time Trial tandem final. Britain’s Lora Fachie has just beaten her Irish opponent, and must wait to see how the others get on.
Van Gass takes gold for GB, Graham settles for silver
Van Gass and Graham go for it, from the b of the bang. And Van Gass is off to a flier, and starts opening up a huge lead. Van Gass has a lead of 2.5 seconds with only a third left. Van Gass has Graham, earlier this morning a world-record holder, in his sights, just the length of a straight between them. Full Gass ahead for gold. An awesome ride for a third gold.
The C3 3,000m individual pursuit final will see Brit on Brit action when GB’s Jaco van Gass and Finlay Graham go for it on the velodrome. That’s imminent, and a guarantee of gold. It’s a rerun of Tokyo in 2021, with Van Gass winning last time out.
France’s Alexandre Leaute takes gold in the 3000m pursuit, beating Belgium’s Edwoud Vromant. He’d already smashed the world record in the earlier session. Robertson seems happy enough with his bronze. “To be a medallist in this team is incredible and it proves that the programme works and the support behind us works.”
Lovely quotes from cycling silver medallist Blaine Hunt: ““My wife sleeps with three bikes in the bedroom. At least one in the front room. There’s about five in the shed. I miss out on family things. My nan died before I came here. They’re postponing the funeral so I can be there. It’s things like that you miss out on.”
Robertson claims a bronze in the C2 3000m pursuit
Back to the cycling track: the C2 3000m pursuit bronze medal final, with Matt Robertson taking on Japan’s Shota Kawamoto, and getting off to a fine start before his rival begins to pull the situation back by the halfway mark. Robertson seems to be sailing to his medal, with his last lap to go and it’s a victory lap. Great ride.
More on wheelchair rugby, a unisex event breaking barriers.
A dramatic win for Japan – 45-42 – over USA in the wheelchair rugby.
Korey Boddington wins gold in the men’s C4-5 1,000m time trial.
Boddington is half a second up on the first lap, 4/10ths in the second, and in the final lap he holds on to win by 0.126. Blaine Hunt takes silver. Alfonso Cabello takes bronze, and Jody Cundy takes fourth. “All I have in my legs is gone,” says Cundy. “A little bit disappointed, very disappointed.”
Cundy has won a medal every time since 1996. But here goes Blaine Hunt…who is quite a way down but then powers his last lap the page goes green: 1.01.776 is the time to beat for Korey Boddington. Hunt guaranteed silver.
Good afternoon, Jody Cundy has just smashed Archie Atkinson, and by a second on the Men’s C4-5 1,000m Time Trial final. He must now wait to see the other riders and see if he can hold on for a a medal. The time is 1:02:504.
I’m about to make way for your guide for this afternoon, John Brewin. Before I go, a quick, possibly Guardian-contract-contravening wave to my cousin, Welsh Athletics’ Sue Maughan, who is among the sizeable British officials contingent in Paris who’ll be doing their level best to ensure the published schedule at least approximates what you see on your TV screens and read about in these blogs.
When you see the width and depth of the schedules in some of these sessions – particularly athletics and swimming – you’ll appreciate that keeping things ticking along is no mean feat.
I’m sure the athletics community around the Colwyn Bay area salutes you, Sue, as do I.
And with that, here’s John to huff at such shamelessness. Enjoy the rest of day two, everyone!
It’s a busy day in the badminton. To be fair, it’s a busy day in everything. Britain’s Daniel Bethell, SL3 badminton silver medallist in Tokyo, has a second group-stage victory to his name, having already eased to a win over Wojtek Czyz yesterday.
Today he’s taken another handsome two-set victory, beating Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara 21-9, 21-4 at La Chapelle Arena. If you missed the Czyz post-match piece from yesterday, featuring a small cameo from one Jürgen Norbert Klopp, do take the time – it’s utterly lovely. About as perfect an attitude to being at a global event as you’ll ever come across, and even more tremendous when you know Czyz already boasts seven Paralympic medals in athletics, including four golds.
Today sees four wheelchair rugby matches. First up today was a drum-tight group-stage affair between Great Britain and Denmark. Following Britain’s 58-55 victory over Australia on day one, it was nip and tuck all the way at Champ-de-Mars Arena.
Britain held a one-point advantage at the end of the first three of four periods – 14-13, 28-27 and 41-40 respectively. Jamie Stead gave his side breathing space with 25 seconds remaining, stretching the lead to three points before Kaare Momme Nielsen scored at the last to make it a final score of 55-53.
USA v Japan is in the closing stages … and it’s 35-35. Who wants it?
Plenty of action still to come, but tons has already been photographed. Check out our pick of the day two images so far …
More from this morning’s briefing mail …
One of the British stars of Tokyo, Maisie Summers-Newton, returns to the pool hoping to add to the two golds she won three years ago. She is the world record holder in the SM6 200m individual medley (final, 5pm BST) and broke her own record by a second and a half in Berlin this year. Now 22, Summers-Newton has combined preparing for the Games with training to become a teacher and says she’s ready for the pressure in Paris. ‘There’s a lot of pressure, which I put on myself. I’ve tried to remove it, but don’t think I can. But it’s because I have that passion to do well. I’m getting stronger, and I’ve got that fire in my belly.’
Look out too for the T47 men’s 100m (5.30pm BST), where Brazil’s Petrúcio Ferreira will be looking to make it three in a row.
At Roland Garros, the tennis got under way today. This was from this morning’s Paralympics briefing (sign up if you haven’t already) …
The tennis competitions begin with the men’s singles and women’s doubles. On Court Philippe-Chatrier the 45-year-old world No 24 Frédéric Cattanéo provides some home interest, taking on the Netherlands’ Maarten ter Hofte, 25 years his junior but also five places lower in the world rankings. Second on Suzanne Lenglen Lucy Shuker, GB’s co-flagbearer at the opening ceremony, and Abbie Breakwell take on the Dutch pairing of Jinte Bos and Lizzy de Greef in the women’s doubles.
————
Ter Hofte v Cattanéo is in the early knockings, while Shuker and Breakwell v Bos and De Greef are about to commence. Play!
Inevitably, while I’m playing catch-up from while I wasn’t here … athletes are looking over their shoulders saying: “Get a move on, we’re being brilliant here.”
In qualifying for the C3 3,000m individual pursuit, ParalympicsGB’s Jaco van Gass spanked his own world record to the moon. His previous best mark of 3:17.593, set in Tokyo, has been comprehensively Tipp-Exed out thanks to a barnstorming ride of 3:15.488, set a short time ago, in Paris.
Circa 3.26pm BST, he will race his teammate Finlay Graham for gold.
In the remaining two medal events from the morning session at the Stade de France … José Gregorio Lemos of Colombia is now a double Paralympic champion … and another world-record setter! His throw of 63.81m in the F38 (coordination impairments) javelin had room to spare in taking the gold, and massively improved his own previous best mark of 61.76m, set last November. Vladyslav Bilyi (52.86m) of Ukraine and China’s An Dongquan (51.97m) couldn’t live with that form but will have fuzzy glows this day with silver and bronze medals respectively.
The brilliant Zhou Xia of China showed her class, steaming to gold in the T35 (coordination impairments) 100m final – her 13.58sec run consigned compatriot Guo Qianqian to second place, while Preethi Pal of India took the bronze. Still only 25, that makes five Paralympic golds for Zhou, who won 100m and 200m golds in Rio and Tokyo.
Bit more catch-up from this morning’s action … more track and field event medals were decided …
Erica Castaño of Colombia, who was fourth in F55 discus in Tokyo, went three better this time around, taking gold with a best throw of 26.70m. Once again the throwing margins at the top were tight, with China’s Dong Feixia – gold medallist at the last two Games – pipped by just 3cm. Mexico’s Rosa María Guerrero repeated her bronze medal from three years ago. The F55 category is one of the seated throws – it relates to “limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement”. Check out the World Para-Athletics website for much more detail on these.
In the T11 (vision impaired) women’s long jump, Uzbekistan’s Asila Mirzayorova added to her compatriot’s earlier F51 shot put silver – she took gold with a leap of 5.24m ahead of China’s Zhou Guohua (4.91m) and Alba García Falagan of Spain (4.76m).
GB equestrian star Pearson suspended amid inquiry
Per PA: British Equestrian has confirmed Sir Lee Pearson – Great Britain’s third most successful Paralympian – is suspended amid an ongoing investigation into his conduct following his non-selection for Paris 2024. The 50-year-old won 14 golds between 2000 and 2021, a total bettered only by cyclist Dame Sarah Storey and swimmer Mike Kenny. Pearson – GB’s flag bearer for Rio 2016 – has not competed since March 2023. He declined to comment on his suspension but has, on social media, expressed ambitions of returning at Los Angeles in 2028. A British Equestrian statement read:
“British Equestrian and British Dressage are aware of concerns and allegations that have arisen around an individual within the dressage community. In accordance with our own procedures, the matter is under active investigation and the individual is suspended from both organisations while that investigation takes place. No further comment will be made at this time.”
Equestrian events are scheduled to begin on Tuesday at the Château de Versailles.
Brazil’s Agripino wins gold and sets world record in T11 5,000m
What a start! First up in athletics on the smart, fast purple track at the Stade de France was the T11 (vision impairment) 5,000m … and Brazil’s Júlio César Agripino took over five seconds off the world record with a superb time of 14:48.85 as he stormed to gold. It surpassed the mark set at May’s world championships by his compatriot and the defending champion, Yeltsin Jacques – who, yep, is named after Boris Yeltsin.
Kenya Karasawa of Japan took silver in an area record of 14:51.48 ahead of Yeltsin, who completed a podium sweep of runners who all went below the previous world record of 14:53.97. The world champion took well over a second from his own PB, finishing in 14:52.61. The result means the same podium peeps but different medals all-round from the worlds in Kobe, where the order was Yeltsin, Agripino, Karasawa.
Kudos as always to the guide runners in the visually-impaired track events – sharing Agripino’s glory were Romario Santos Viana, Micael Batista and Guilherme Ademilson. The winner collapsed to the track in a mixture of exhaustion and elation at the finish, but was soon helped up to a raucous reception from the crowd.
Elsewhere, gold for Tunisia! Raoua Tlili took gold in the F41 (short stature) shot put with a season’s best of 10.40m. That effort pipped Uzbekistan’s Kubaro Khakimova by just four centimetres, but her 10.36m was an area record. Antonella Ruiz Diaz of Argentina took bronze with 9.58m.
Preamble
Good day. In fact a cracking one already in Paris, as the athletics action got off the best kind of start with an outstanding world-record performance in the very first track event of these Games at the Stade de France (of which more shortly).
Coming up there’s plenty more track and field, 14 gold medals to be decided in a loaded swimming programme, track cycling finals, taekwondo finals, archery, badminton, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, tennis, table tennis, goalball and boccia.
We’ll be pointing you to the pick of the action as it arises. But there’s plenty to catch you up on from this morning …
