We’re signing off now but it looks like the US will face Great Britain in the men’s wheelchair basketball final. They’re 43-34 up with seven minutes left of the third quarter. Still plenty of time for the Canadians to turn things around though.
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A gold medal chance for Team GB in the men’s wheelchair team foil final. They lead China 20-15 after four rounds. China in real danger of missing out on a 5,645th gold of these Games here.
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USA lead Canada in the men’s wheelchair basketball semi-final, 40-32. The winner will play Great Britain for gold. The Americans have won gold at the last two Games.
GB's Dan Pembroke wins javelin gold and breaks world record twice
Well, that was pretty convincing then. Pembroke was the reigning champion and just about showed why after breaking the F13 world record twice to claim gold. He broke the record the first time with a throw of 71.15m. That was good but his next one was 74.49m, placing him miles (OK, metres) ahead of silver medalist Ali Pirouj of Iran (69.74m).
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USA face Canada in the men’s wheelchair basketball semi-final. The Americans lead 19-16 early in the second quarter.
… a great fifth penalty from Olivera puts Argentina head in the men’s blind football semi-final. Brazil must score, and it’s thrashed into the bottom corner. But Brazil miss their next spot-kick after Argentina convert theirs, inflicting the first (sort of) defeat in their rival’s Paralympic history. A huge shock in was former world player of the year Ricardinho who missed the decisive penalty too. Argentina will play France in the final.
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Brazil’s remarkable run of golds in men’s blind football – they’ve never failed to win the title at the Paralympics – is in jeopardy after their semi-final with old rivals Argentina goes to penalties. Both teams score their first penalties, then both miss the second, Nonato then has to score Brazil’s third penalty to keep his team in the tournament and duly blasts it home. Argentina then miss their fourth effort … but Brazil miss too! We continue…
We have a world record in the men’s F13 javelin final. GB’s Dan Pembroke, the reigning champion, claimed the record with a throw of 71.15m, beating the previous mark by 14cm. I think it’s safe to say he’s favourite to win gold again.
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Even in the story-laden world of the Paralympics, where things are never monochrome, it is hard to trump getting your leg bitten off by a shark one year, and swimming for medals in Paris the next.
Yet that is the true tale behind the success of Ali Truwit, 24-year-old ex-Yale competitive swimmer, and silver medallist in the La Défense Arena in the S10 400m freestyle on Thursday night, who in 2023 fought off a shark in the waters of Turks and Caicos in the Atlantic Ocean, and saved her own life by racing 70 metres to a boat, her left foot somewhere behind.
Truwit was always sporty, running, swimming, jumping, and had just done a marathon before heading out for a celebratory snorkeling trip with her friend Sophie one flawless May morning, days after graduating from Yale. In the aftermath of the attack, after Sophie had stemmed the blood by tying a makeshift tourniquet around her leg as the boat raced back to land, she was airlifted to hospital where the doctors fought first to save her life, and then to operate on her leg, eventually amputating it just below the knee.
What followed was rough – the mental battle to cope with the loss of a limb and a life imagined, and both real and phantom physical pain which seared through her body, especially at night. Water became a phobia. But, incredibly, just four months after the attack, she contacted her old swimming coach James Barone and asked him if he’d help her again. By late October she had swum in her first para swim competition, where meeting other athletes was a turning point. Less than a year after that, after four minutes and 31 seconds in the water, second behind Canada’s Aurelie Rivard, there is a silver medal round her neck.
You can read the full story below:
It’s still 0-0 in Brazil v Argentina in the blind football semi-final. A reminder that Brazil have never failed to win gold in this one…
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Want a selection of some of the best images from today’s action? Then look no further than our lovingly curated gallery:
The men’s F13 javelin final has started and the reigning champion, Britain’s Dan Pembroke, nearly breaks his own Paralympic record with a first throw of 69.52m.
A wee bit of history in the blind football as Brazil take on Argentina in the semi-final. It’s 0-0 at the moment, but the Argentinians face a tough task: Brazil have won the gold in every Paralympics in which the event has been played. The winners will play hosts France in the final.
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Hope for fortysomethings department. Brent Lakatos, at the age of 44, has won gold in the in the T53 800m. It’s the second Paralympic gold of the Canadian’s career after his 100m victory in 2016.
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Marcel Hug is one of the most dominant athletes in the world: as well as winning pretty much every major marathon he enters he is also an ace in the Paralympics: he swept the T54 marathon, 5000m, 1500m and 800m in Tokyo. But he has to settle for bronze in the 800m tonight, finishing behind China’s Dai Yunqiang and Jin Hua, who won silver and gold respectively. Then again, it’s not like Hug hasn’t encountered disappointment before. GB’s Nathan Maguire finished fourth.
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When the decisive spike smashed off the Egyptian defence to seal Iranian victory in their sitting volleyball semi-final it was fitting it should be delivered by Morteza Mehrzad; their not-so secret weapon, he is also the world’s second-tallest man.
Mehrzad, 36, is 8ft 1in tall. He was born with gigantism and also uses a wheelchair after a bike accident as a teenager caused an injury that stopped his right leg from growing. When the ball is served in his sport he must push his head down to keep it under the cord of the net. When he arrived at the Paralympic village in Paris he was forced to sleep on the floor because there was not a bed big enough for him. He is shy, disliking the attention his condition brings, and when he plays on the court he rarely smiles. You could be forgiven for feeling sorry for him.
And yet, when his coach Hadi Rezaei talks about Mehrzad, he says that working with him has been “one of the most important things I have done during my whole life”. And it is Mehrzad who will bring the attention of the Iranian nation, and of a global audience too, to this sport and the final against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday. While he may not smile much, there is no doubting the passion Mehrzad has for his sport; in the decisive fourth set of a 3-1 victory, he dominated play and celebrated each point he scored with two pumping fists.
You can read the full article below:
USA's Jeremy Campbell wins his fifth Paralympic gold
The Texan has been utterly dominant in the discus since he first came on the Paralympic scene in 2008. His winning throw of 61.14m was well ahead of Trinidad and Tobago’s Akeem Stewart’s 59.66m. USA’s David Blair won bronze with 57.76m.
Campbell now has five Paralympics golds: he won in the P44 pentathlon and F44 discus in 2008. He added discus golds in 2012, 2020 and 2024. He comes from a family with sporting pedigree: his brother Caleb played in the NFL. Jeremy was also quarterback of his high school team, an early clue that he could throw a bit.
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It’s US, Turkey and Ukraine after the second leg, the breaststroke. China are back into silver after the third and a storming final leg from the Chinese breaks the world record and claims gold. It’s the US in second with Ukraine in third.
The final event in the pool tonight is the mixed 4x50m medley relay. China, the world record holders, are comfortable favourites for this one and the US, Italy and Ukraine are expected to battle for silver. But strange things can happen in relays, we shall see…
GB's Alice Tai wins gold in women's S8 50m freestyle
Splash and dash time and the Briton wins her second gold of the game, and the third of her career, as she powers through the field – she was struggling early in the race – to take the title comfortbaly ahead of Brazil’s Cecília Kethlen Jerônimo de Araújo. That’s Tai’s fourth medal of the Games: not a bad few days’ work.
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The US will play for gold in women’s sitting volleyball after seeing off the challenge of Brazil. The Americans will face the winners of the Canada-China semi-final, which will take place shortly.
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GB's Becky Redfern win gold in the women's SB13 100m breaststroke
It was a comfortable win for the Briton. She led after 35m and was barely threatened after that. It’s the 24-year-old’s first Paralympic gold after winning silvers in the same event at Rio and Tokyo. The American pair of Olivia Chambers and Colleen Young won silver and bronze respectively.
“It’s going to make me cry. It’s something we’ve worked really hard for. Two silvers in the first two Paralympics and now a gold, it means the world,” she tells Channel 4 after the final.
“This crowd has been amazing, they’ve really spurred me on. I couldn’t hear them but I know they were cheering and I know that my family is somewhere here and to have them with me is really special.”
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Lea Bayekula cruises to victory in the women’s T53 400m. The world record holder’s gold never looked in doubt as she claimed victory ahead of Switzerland’s Manuela Schaer and USA’s Tatyana McFadden. With her bronze, she takes her Paralympic medal tally to 21, a record for any US track and field athlete.
With that, it’s time to hand the baton over to Tom Lutz. Over to you Tom …
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Germany’s Elena Krawzow wins SB12 100m breaststroke gold
The most uplifting of stories in the pool, where Germany’s Elena Krawzow has won gold in the SB12 100m breaststroke in a world record of 1min 12.54sec. Krawzow also claimed gold in Tokyo but months later was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour and was given only a 10% chance of living beyond a year. Now she’s a Paralympic champion once more.
Sammi Kinghorn wins T53 400m silver; Debrunner gold
Back to the Stade de France, where Sammi Kinghorn, after her stunning 100m gold yesterday, is aiming for a fourth medal in Paris, this time in the T53 400m. She’s up against the USA’s Chelsea Stein and Australia’s Angela Ballard. A smooth start from Kinghorn, but Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland is comfortably going to take this for her fourth gold of the Games, with Kinghorn getting silver and China’s Zhou Hongzhuan bronze. Kinghorn is beaming; it’s a third silver to add to her gold.
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Hewett will face Japan’s Tokito Oda in the men’s wheelchair tennis final. Oda, the 18-year-old star who’s already won four grand slam singles titles, has defeated Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez 6-2, 7-5.
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They’re on to the final round in the men’s up to 65kg powerlifting final. GB’s Mark Swan is in the silver medal position, having lifted 208kg in the second round, and he’ll attempt 211kg on his last attempt. That won’t be enough to topple the leader, China’s Yi Zou, who lifted 213kg in the second round.
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Alfie Hewett that is absolutely outrageous 😱#C4Paralympics | #ParalympicGames | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/ar6De4llUm
— C4 Paralympics (@C4Paralympics) September 5, 2024
Greece's Athanasios Ghavelas wins T11 100m gold
A huge ovation and frantic flag waving follows Adolphe’s introduction to the crowd. This T11 category is for athletes with little or no vision. Adolphe is a talented man; he’s a hip hop artist as well as an athlete and was also signed up by Louis Vuitton for a Games ad campaign along with Leon Marchand. But anyway, to the action. They’re off .. and there’s barely anything between them until the finish line … my, that was close. Greece’s Athanasios Ghavelas just takes gold in a season’s best of 11.02sec. Adolphe is three hundredths of a second back and wins silver, with China’s Di Dongdong taking bronze.
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At the other end of the age scale from Winnifrith … discus thrower Dan Greaves will be going for his seventh medal at his seventh Games in the F64 event, which is just getting under way at the Stade de France in the evening session of the athletics. His GB teammate Harrison Walsh could also challenge for a medal. We’ve also got French sprinter Timothee Adolphe coming up very shortly in the T11 100m final, along with GB’s Sammi Kinghorn, who’ll be aiming to add to the three medals she’s already won in Paris. She goes in the T53 400m.
13-year-old Iona Winnifrith wins silver on her debut in the Women's SB7 100m Breaststroke Final!
— C4 Paralympics (@C4Paralympics) September 5, 2024
Mariia Pavlova takes gold in a world record time.#C4Paralympics | #ParalympicGames | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/XnVGSQXhoB
Alfie Hewett reaches men's wheelchair tennis final
Hewett isn’t messing around in his men’s tennis semi-final. He’s dominated Spain’s Martin de la Puente, who appears to be struggling with injury, and is a game away from victory, serving for the match at 6-2, 5-0. At 15-all, Channel 4 decides to switch to the swimming … so I have no idea how Hewett finishes the job, but finish the job he swiftly does, with a 6-2, 6-0 rout. It means the Brit is guaranteed at least a silver medal. But it’s not the silver he wants, of course. He wants that elusive gold.
GB’s Mark Swan gets two white lights for 203kg on his first attempt, which propels him into the gold medal position in the men’s up to 65kg final. China’s Yi Zou, the world record holder, is the only competitor yet to lift.
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History made for @ParalympicsGB 🏀🤩
— C4 Paralympics (@C4Paralympics) September 5, 2024
The Men's Wheelchair Basketball team are in the gold medal match for the first time in TWENTY EIGHT years after wiping Germany off the court! #C4Paralympics | #ParalympicGames | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/8DNzMQeh9v
Australia's Timothy Hodge wins gold in men’s SM9 200m individual medley
The finals keep on coming, with the men’s SM9 200m individual medley. La Defense Arena is almost making as much noise as it did for Leon Marchand during the Olympics, with home hopes Hector Denayer and Ugo Didier both racing for France … the crowd are screaming every time the swimmers raise their heads on the breaststroke leg, but the duo can’t keep up with Australia’s Timothy Hodge, who surges in front to take gold in 2min 13.31sec, 2.67 seconds ahead of Didier in second and 4.03 seconds ahead of Denayer in third. Didier and Denayer are high-fiving each other after their French two-three. And for the second successive race in the pool we’ve got a new Paralympic record.
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Back at the pool it’s the women’s SB11 100m breaststroke final. GB’s Scarlett Humphrey is seventh at the turn, after a quick start from China’s Ma Jia … but it’s the neutral athlete Daria Lukianenko who grabs gold with a Paralympic record of 1min 18.31sec after a superb second 50m. Ma is second and Karolina Pelendritou of Cyprus third, with Humphrey sixth.
After that historic moment for Japan at Roland Garros earlier, Alfie Hewett is under way in his men’s tennis semi-final. The Brit, 30 times a grand slam champion but yet to win Paralympic gold, is looking to complete his set of trophies in Paris, just as Novak Djokovic did last month at the Olympics. He’s taking on Spain’s Martin de la Puente and has won the first set comfortably, 6-2.
Dernier jour aux Invalides, site ✨ iconique ✨ des Jeux.
— Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) September 5, 2024
Au nom de tous les archers du monde, merci pour les travaux 🫡
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Last day at Les Invalides, an ✨ iconic ✨ venue for the Games.
On behalf of all the archers in the world, thank you for the memories 👏#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/ZRcqUJqnw8
Up next in the powerlifting it’s GB’s European champion Mark Swan, who’s aiming for a podium finish in the men’s up to 65kg final. Growing up in a family of 12, the only place Swan could practice when he was younger was in his dad’s shed. A grander stage awaits him today at La Chapelle Arena.
Iona Winnifrith collects her silver from the SB7 100m breaststroke. She’s emulated her idol Ellie Simmonds by winning a Paralympic medal at just 13 years old, but looks remarkably composed on the podium. And because the gold medal winner Mariia Pavlova is from Russia, we get to hear the Paralympic anthem instead of the Russian one.
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Table tennis is the game of the youth club and the hostel, the campsite and the school gym, the park and the prison. It is also played by elite athletes with rubber wrists and quicksilver reflexes, like 14-year-old British schoolgirl Bly Twomey. (Though, it turns out, elite athletes or not, they still have to crawl under the table to pick up errant balls.)
Twomey, the fourth seed, already had a bronze medal, with Fliss Pickard in the WD14 doubles last Thursday, when she walked out for her WS7 singles semi-final against the seventh seed, Turkey’s Kübra Korkut on Thursday.
A curtain of light brown hair hanging round her face, Twomey charged into an early two-set lead, nimble and dynamic. But Korkut found her mojo and took the next three sets on the trot in a 21-minute burst to win 9-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-5.
Twomey would have to settle for another bronze. “It’s an amazing experience,” she said. “It gives me a lot of hope to know I’m the same level as them.”
There was a huge contingent from the Brighton Table Tennis club to support their home players, Twomey and Will Bayley – formerly of Strictly Come Dancing and a silver medallist at Tokyo – who plays in the MS7 semi-finals on Friday. “We love you Bly, we do,” they chanted, bringing a touch of the football stadium to the South Paris Arena.
The director of the club, Tim Holtam, was watching with 35 members and another 100 were due to arrive on Thursday afternoon, many of them children in foster care and children who have never left the country before, able to come because of funding. “It’s an amazing community,” he said. “And we’re trying to put a silver lining on it. We didn’t want her to win because we want to extend the party to LA in four years.”
Twomey first went to the club at Easter 2021, to a multi-sport camp run thanks to the Holiday Activities and Food programme inspired by Marcus Rashford. “She picked up a bat and it was perfect timing as Will was at the club full time after Tokyo. He has guided her and showed her how to play,” said Holtam.
You can read the rest here:
LA MOISSON EN PARA CYCLISME CONTINUE ! 🥇🥈
— Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) September 5, 2024
Mathieu Bosredon s'offre un doublé doré, tandis que Johan Quaile décroche également deux médailles en argent lors de ces Jeux Paralympiques à domicile ! 🔥"
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THE PARA-CYCLING HARVEST KEEPS ON GOING! 🥇🥈
Mathieu Bosredon wins the gold… pic.twitter.com/AxeMbSOb2E
Look what this means to Ukraine’s Nataliya Nikolaychyk. It’s remarkable what Nikolaychyk and her teammates are achieving in Paris given that budgets were slashed when the war started in 2022. Ukraine have a proud Paralympic history, and finished fifth in the medal table in Tokyo, and despite the drop in funding they’re seventh in the standings here. Nikolaychyk’s gold is the 15th the team have won in Paris, with 57 medals won overall.
Mastery on the mat 🇺🇦
— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) September 5, 2024
Nataliya Nikolaychyk claims gold for Ukraine in Women’s Para judo -48kg J1 🥋#Paralympics | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/fwNVfv5o79
Canada's Aurelie Rivard wins gold in S10 400m freestyle
But here comes Rivard, who pulls away from Truwit before the final turn. Truwit is giving chase … but there’s too much for the American to do. Rivard makes is a hat-trick of S10 400m freestyle titles, having won gold in Rio and Tokyo too, with a time of 4min 29.20sec. Truwit has to settle for silver and an American record, while Italy’s Bianka Pap wins bronze. Rogers finishes fifth in a time of 4:41.50.
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Back at the swimming, it’s the women’s 400m S10 freestyle final. The American Ali Truwit is expected to be a big challenger, just over a year after she lost her leg below the knee in a shark attack in the Caribbean, and GB’s Faye Rogers is racing in this one too. Truwit leads at the halfway mark, from Canada’s Aurelie Rivard, with Rogers fourth …
Egypt's Rehab Ahmed wins women's 55kg powerlifting gold
The great Egyptian Rehab Ahmed has won the women’s up to 55kg powerlifting final with a lift of 121kg. It means the world champion is now the Paralympic champion. GB’s Charlotte McGuinness, who was distraught after judged disqualified her first attempt because of the position of her body, finishes fourth with a lift of 105kg.
Amazing swim.
— ParalympicsGB (@ParalympicsGB) September 5, 2024
It's a debut SILVER medal for 13 year old Iona Winnifrith in the 100m Breaststroke!!!#ParalympicsGB 🥈 pic.twitter.com/jupxKf66kl
That was huge from Winnifrith. It’s easy to draw comparisons with Ellie Simmonds, who was also 13 when she won her first Paralympic medals at Beijing 2008. “It’s really cool,” Winnifrith says in a nonchalant teenagery way. “Of course I really wanted gold but I’m super proud.”
BIG win for the men's wheelchair basketball team in the semi final. They'll go for gold on Saturday!#ParalympicsGB 🏀 pic.twitter.com/NgeRTcsQno
— ParalympicsGB (@ParalympicsGB) September 5, 2024
Iona Winnifrith wins silver in SB7 100m breaststroke
Unfortunately there’s no time to reflect on GB’s victory, because at La Defense Arena a stream of swimming finals – 13 no less – is getting under way with the 13-year-old Iona Winnifrith, the youngest member of the GB team, racing in the SB7 100m breaststroke. The teenager has a strong chance of a medal … but is in third in the early stages … Mariia Pavlova leads at the turn and takes the win by breaking her own world record with a time of 1min 26.09sec … with Winnifrith sealing silver in a lifetime best of 1:29.69!
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GB reach men's basketball final
After the tightest of first halves, which GB edged 28-24, they’ve dominated the second half to complete a 71-43 victory over Germany. Up next on Saturday: the USA or Canada, who face off later. It’s GB’s first chance to go for gold since Atlanta 1996, having won bronze at the past two Games.
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Four minutes to go, and GB are 65-35 ahead, as Warburton departs with 35 points to his name.
Germany’s Thomas Boehme stops a run of 14 consecutive points for Britain, after the Germans had missed nine successive shots, but GB will take a commanding 48-32 lead into the final 10 minutes … which is soon 61-35. After a slow start to this match, Britain are surely now set for the final, where they’ll face either the USA or Canada on Saturday.
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Speaking of powerlifting, the latest session is getting under way at La Chapelle Arena, with two medal hopefuls for ParalympicsGB. Charlotte McGuinness competes in the women’s up to 55kg final, and then it’s Mark Swan in the men’s up to 65kg final. GB have already claimed a medal there today, with Olivia Broome winning bronze in the women’s up to 50kg final earlier.
From powerlifting to judo and the Paris rain – the best images of the day so far …
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Warburton adds another two points to his total for 42-26. Germany have been overwhelmed in this third quarter, scoring only two points, with three minutes left on the clock. GB, remember, are trying to reach their first gold medal match in 28 years.
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I don’t want to jinx it … but GB, with so much strength in depth in their team and some top replacements to call on, have been pretty strong in the final two quarters of their matches so far. Warburton, one of the starters, has begun the third quarter so confidently too, and Britain pull away for the first time this afternoon, 36-26. Perhaps the German defence is starting to break down. And Warburton strikes again for 40-26.
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Ade Adepitan, who’s writing for the Guardian during these Paralympics and was part of the British basketball team that won bronze at Athens 2004, has been giving his thoughts on GB v Germany. “I’m loving it,” he says. “It’s only my second opportunity to come to the Bercy Arena. But my nerves are jangling. This is such a tactical match. Germany’s game plan is to force GB to shoot from outside the area. It’s a really close game and it’s so hard to call.”
QUEEN OKSANA 👑
— Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) September 5, 2024
Le doublé pour l'Américaine, qui au lendemain de sa victoire lors du contre-la-montre, s'impose sur la course en ligne H5 ! 🔥
Rendez-vous samedi pour espérer un triplé avec le relai ✨
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QUEEN OKSANA 👑
Back-to-back wins for the American, who, the day after her… pic.twitter.com/hxk3ZwxVpI
What it means 🥹
— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) September 5, 2024
Piers Gilliver of @ParalympicsGB celebrates victory with teammates Lam Watson and Dimitri Coutya during the Men's Foil Team Semi-Final 🇬🇧 #Paralympics | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/fKB4Sgxrg4
Japan’s Yui Kamiji and Manami Tanaka stun Dutch to win women's wheelchair doubles tennis gold
After nearly three hours played in the women’s wheelchair doubles final, Japan have three match points. The Dutch fend off the first after De Groot finds a wonderful angle for the winner. And they somehow save the second too! But here’s one more chance for Japan to rewrite the history of women’s wheelchair doubles … and the Dutch hit long! Kamiji and Tanaka win 4-6, 7-6 (3), 10-8 in one of the biggest upsets of the Paralympics so far … this is the first time since the women’s doubles entered the Games in 1992 that the champions aren’t from the Netherlands! The golden Dutch run is over.
Manning is finally starting to show what he can do. GB now lead 28-24. But my eyes are elsewhere, wandering over to Roland Garros, where quite some story is brewing in the tennis. Japan’s Yui Kamiji and Manami Tanaka are close to pulling off an almighty upset, coming from a set down in the women’s wheelchair doubles final to force a deciding tie-break against Diede de Groot and Aniek van Koot of the Netherlands. The Japanese lead it 8-5, with 10 points needed for victory. If Kamiji and Tanaka win it’ll be the first time the Netherlands have ever been beaten in this event (it’s been in the Paralympics since 1992).
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GB defeated Germany 76-55 in the group stage but the Germans are doing a great job here of marking Lee Manning, who’s scored only two points so far. Gregg Warburton, though, is starting to flow, and GB edge 18-16 ahead. Make that 20-16. But Germany come back at them for 21-20. Four minutes left of the second quarter …
Let’s turn our attentions to the Bercy Arena now, where the rain in Paris hasn’t put people off travelling to the basketball. It’s packed in the stadium, with Britain’s men taking on Germany in the men’s semi-finals. GB are the strong favourites to reach their first final since Atlanta in 1996 after four wins from four so far, including a 76-55 victory over Germany in the group stage … but this isn’t going the same way, with Germany leading 11-10 after the first quarter. Perhaps there’s a hint of complacency from GB having won their previous matches so comfortably; but there’s plenty of time to turn it around.
Iran’s Morteza Mehrzadselakjani, the tallest Paralympian in history and the world’s second tallest man at 8ft 1in, made the news this week after it was revealed he’d been forced to sleep on the floor in Paris because his bed wasn’t long enough. Apparently his sleeping situation has now been resolved and there’s even better news for the sitting volleyball player, because he and his team have defeated Egypt 3-1 to reach the final, where they will face Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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Scenes of Chinese celebration at the South Paris Arena, where the women’s goalball team have defeated Brazil 6-0 to take bronze. Goalball is one of two Paralympic sports – along with boccia – that doesn’t have an Olympic equivalent. Designed for blind and visually impaired athletes, it was invented after the second world war to help rehabilitate veterans who’d lost their sight. The aim of the game is to throw a ball (which has bells inside, with the players relying on sound) into the opposing team’s goal. There’s more action later, with Israel taking on Turkey in the women’s final and Ukraine facing Japan in the men’s gold medal match.
Good news from the wheelchair fencing, where Britain’s men have reached the foil team final, overcoming the vociferous home support for France by defeating the home side 45-25 in their semi-final. GB will be back at 8.15pm BST to compete for gold, and it looks as if they’ll be up against China, who currently lead Italy 41-33.
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After Tokyo, Olivia Broome can finally celebrate her bronze medal with her family 💙#C4Paralympics | #ParalympicGames | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/KBQabDfqnY
— C4 Paralympics (@C4Paralympics) September 5, 2024
Oksana Masters wins gold in H5 women's road race
Oksana Masters suddenly decides to show why she’s a Paralympic sensation, making her move on the final climb after a race of attrition, pulling away to win by 11 seconds from China’s Sun Bianbian! Italy’s Ana Maria Vitelaru finishes another two seconds further back, and Germany’s Andrea Eskau drops away and is 20 seconds behind Vitelaru. Masters looks mightily relieved; that was an intense test for the 35-year-old American. Like Valize, she has achieved the double double, winning the road race and time trial in Paris, having done the same in Tokyo. And let’s not forget the 15 other Paralympic medals she previously won in rowing, skiing and biathlon.
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And here’s a report on the 14-year-old Twomey’s achievement:
British schoolgirl Bly Twomey is dreaming of gold at Los Angeles 2028 after claiming her second bronze medal of an impressive Paralympics debut in Paris.
The 14-year-old from Brighton was already guaranteed a podium place in the women’s class seven singles ahead of a tense semi-final showdown with world and European champion Kubra Korkut.
Twomey flew out of the blocks against an opponent more than twice her age and looked set to remain on course to become Great Britain’s youngest Paralympic table tennis champion after taking the opening two sets. But experienced 30-year-old Korkut gradually turned the tide before progressing with a 9-11 7-11 11-6 11-5 11-5 victory.
“I’m a bit disappointed that I lost but I’ve played so well,” said Twomey, who was backed by identical twin sister Ellis and a vocal contingent from Brighton Table Tennis Club at South Paris Arena.
“I was very much in the moment, I didn’t think anything about the final, I was just point by point, it was an unlucky loss.
“It’s a lot to win two bronze medals at my first Paralympic Games at the age of 14 - I’m really proud to represent my country and it’s just been an amazing experience.
“It gives me a lot of hope to know that I’m on the same level as them. It gives me a lot of confidence because I think maybe I can get a gold in the future.”
Twomey only took up table tennis three years ago and had already won doubles bronze alongside Fliss Pickard in France. The teenager, who has cerebral palsy, says the sport has changed her life.
“When I first started table tennis, I wasn’t confident at all,” she said. “I couldn’t really go places or into big crowds because I was afraid people might get rid of me because of my disability. But now I’m here everyone has a disability.
“Brighton Table Tennis Club have done a lot for me. They’ve been an amazing part of my experience and without them I couldn’t have achieved any of this.”
Twomey’s travelling fans, who are also supporting 2016 gold medallist Will Bayley in Paris, celebrated every successful point and repeatedly chanted her name.
Sister Ellis said: “I feel really proud of her, she’s come so far in the short time she’s been playing. She’s become a lot more aware and happy of her disability. She used to be quite sad and think of herself as not as good as other people. PA Media
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So there have been three medals for GB so far today, all bronzes, for Olivia Broome in the 50kg powerlifting, Anna Nicholson in the F35 shot put and Bly Twomey in the WS7 table tennis. This was the moment Broome claimed bronze:
She did it in Tokyo and she's done it again in Paris; Olivia Broome wins bronze in the Women's -50kg Para Powerlifting! 💪#C4Paralympics | #ParalympicGames | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/PF7VT07NpT
— C4 Paralympics (@C4Paralympics) September 5, 2024
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None of the quartet appear willing to attempt a race-winning move yet. There’s 3km to go …
It’s a fourth Paralympic gold for the imperious Valize, who also won the H5 individual time trial yesterday, along with the road race-time trial double in Tokyo three years ago. Meanwhile the women are gearing up for a sprint finish, with still nothing to choose between Eskau, Masters, Vitelaru and Sun. They’re on their final lap.
Mitch Valize of the Netherlands wins gold in H5 men's road race
But let’s go straight to the men’s H5 road race, where Mitch Valize of the Netherlands has claimed a commanding gold, finishing 1min 15sec ahead of Loic Vergnaud, the Frenchman, with Pavlo Bal of Ukraine third, after his race-long battle with Luis Costa of Portugal. Gutting for Costa, who misses out on a medal after one hour and 37 minutes of racing by just 13 seconds.
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Merci Daniel. Et bonjour le monde! I’ll be here for the next four and a half hours, and coming up in that time we’ve got Britain’s men in wheelchair basketball semi-final action against Germany, 13-year-old swimmer Iona Winnifrith in the SB7 100m breaststroke final and, at the other end of the age scale, 41-year-old discus thrower Dan Greaves going for his seventh medal at his seventh Games in the F64 event. Sammi Kinghorn, after her wonderful gold in the T53 100m yesterday, is back for the 400m, while home hero Timothee Adolphe goes in the T11 100m final.
There’s also powerlifting and fencing, plus goalball and boccia – two sports that are unique to the Paralympics. And let’s not forget the tennis at Roland Garros, where GB’s Alfie Hewett, 30 times a grand slam champion but yet to win a Paralympic gold, bids to reach the final of the men’s wheelchair singles.
Oh man I’d love to bring you the end of this. But luckily for youse, my watch is over, so here’s Katy Murrells to call it home. Ta-ra!
We’ve one lap to go in the women’s race, Eskau in front and leading Masters from Vitelaru from Sun.
Back with the women’s H5 road race, Eskau of Germany leads from Masters of USA from Vitelaru of Italy from Sun of China. I assume Masters will go at some point, but we may just get a sprint finish for the ages.
Valize ploughs on towards gold in the men’s H5 road race, Vergnaud giving it everything to hang on to silver while, in the women’s race, we’re set for a belter of a finish with four racers in with a chance of gold and one destined to depart without a medal.
Apologies, we’ve one more match on Lenglen before Hewett, the bronze-medal match in the quad singles.
After the third lap, Valize leads Vernaud by 43s in the men’s H5 road race, Bal and Costa chasing the latter for a hack at silver in the knowledge that they may also be rucking for the bronze; they’re 2.33s behind. In the women’s event, Masters, the favourite, leads, with Viterlaru, Eskau and Sun close by.
The bronze-medal match in the women’s tennis is over, Wang and Guo of China beating Li and Zhu of China; I think Alfie Hewett is on next for his singles semi against Martin de la Puente of Spain.
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Mohamed Elmenyawy of Egypt wnis gold in the men's up to 50kg powerlifting
Two white lights, celebration, prayer, and what a moment! Qi Yongkai of China takes silver and Mohsen Bakhtiar of Iran the bronze.
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And he does it! 200kg raised aloft, so Elmenawy must bang 201 for gold! Here he comes!
“So what’s going on in the powerlifting?” I hear you ask. Well, Aceituno of El Salvador has just raised 196 to restore himself to the bronze medal position, but Bakhtiar of Iran will now go at 197 to inch back in front … and he brings it home! He takes the medal, but Qi Yongkai will now have a go at 200 to try and turn silver into gold.
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I don’t think Vergnaud can get at Valize, who has decided now is the time to emphasise his superiority; the Frenchman now has pressure form behind with Bal and Costa chasing him together. Meantime, the women complete the second lap and Masters, leading with the others in her slipstream, is irritated she’s having to do all the work. Such is the price of dominance.
Valize is hard, hard man. He breaks away on a climb, leaving Vergnaud, and it feels inevitable that he’ll boust to the gold.
Back to the women’s road race, Vitelaru now leads, Masters and Sun with her – the others have gone … no they haven’t, EAskau of Germany rejoining the group. Apparently, Masters was complaining at the lack of help she was getting from the others, but I guess it’s every rider for themselves.
In the mens Valize leads Vergnaud, while Costa now leads Bal in the second group.
All change in the men’s up to 50kg powerlifting! Qi Yongkai, the defending champ, who lifted 192kg in round one, sorts out 197 second go and goes to the top of the leaderboard. Mohsen Bakhtiar of Iran is second on 195 and now Elmenyawy of Egypt, in front after his first go, will have a hack at 198 … and up it goes! This is a contest! The chief ref gave him a red but the other two were happy, and so is yerman
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In the women’s race, Sun stil leads, but with her are Masters, Eskai and Vitelaru, while in the men’s, Bal of Ukraine has had enough of trying to catch the leaders with the help of Portugal’s Costa, so he sprints off a loan to close on the pack.
Shorn of teammate De Vries, Valize is looking to do it himself, but Vergnaud is right behind … but have a look! In the women’s race, Haenen takes a corner too quickly, crashes, and she’ll do well to get back involved never mind challenge for anything. Sun of China now leads, Masters behind her.
Masters still leads the women’s road race and she’s chatting to Haenen of the Netherlands; in the men’s Vergnaud has broken away and Valize is in pursuit, catching him as I type.
Smack laid down in the men’s powerlifting, Mohamed Elmenyawy of Egypt banging 194kg first up; behind him, Herbert Aceituno of El Salvador us on 193 with two more having hosited 192.
The men complete their first lap of four, Liu Qiangli now leading but by very little. Tim de Vries of the Netherlands has been has been dropped – I think he may have endured a misfortune – but he’s chasing and Valize, his teammate, will want him back to help him go for gold. Meantime in the women’s race, they’re further behind, Chantal Haenen leading with Oksana Masters of USA, the favourite, looking strong behind her.
The distance they’ve to cover, by the way, yanking their wheels round and round, is 56.8km. I’ve no idea how they manage it and I’m in awe.
In the men’s road race, Loic Vergnaud of France is setting the pace; he won solver last time, but Mitch Valize of the Netherlands who took gold in Tokyo is only just behind and the man they all fear.
The men’s up to 59kg powerlifting is under way, the early leading mark 176kg hoisted by Stanislav Shakiyev of Kazakhstan.
I’m still buzzing from this last evening. And don’t forget, Sammi goes again in the 400m this evening; of course we’ll be bringing it to you.
Channel 4 are now showing women’s wheelchair basketball from earlier – I’ve no idea why given there’s live sport going and this is for classification 5-8. But GB beat Japan 67-55.
Tapia rings the bell and that is, I think, the end of our morning athletics sesh. But fear not: we’ve both the men’s and women’s H5 para cycling road races about to start.
Oney Tapia of Italy wins gold in the men's F11 shot put
Hassan Bajoulvand of Iran takes silver and Alvaro del Amo Cano of Spain bronze.
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…it’s good … but it’s not good enough. 40.44 isn’t his best effort but it it is better than the marks hit by all but Tapia, who’ll now take his last throw knowing he’s the champ. He has to make do with 39.09 and he celebrates like he means it, cuddling with his team. Well done sir.
Back to the discus, Alvaro del Amo Cano is about to go, lying fifth … and he lands 39.60! That shatters his PB by 40cm! He moves into the bronze-medal position and lumps pressure on Mahdi Olad who has one shot at bettering him … and he can’t! So if Bajiulvand can’t beat 41,92, having already hurled a PB of 41.75, Tapia takes gold. Here he comes…
Yao Juan of China wins gold in the women's F64 shot put
Arelle Middleton of USA, aged just 16, takes silver and Yang Yue of China the bronze.
We’re getting towards the last round of the men’s discus, Oney Tapia of Italy leading with 41.92, landed just now, from Hassan Bajoulvand of Iran’s 47.75.
Safia Djelal of Algeria wins gold in the women's F57 shot put with a Paralympic record of 11.56m
Xi Mian of China takes silver and Nassima Saifi of Algeria bronze.
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Clara Fuentes of Venezuela wins gold in the women's up to 50kg powerlifting with a Paralympic record of 124kg
Xiao Jinping of China takes silver and Olivia Broome of GB bronze, both raising 119.
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She hollers, she lifts … and no, she can’t get it up. I think, though, that I was wrong about the rules – there’s a powerlift the athletes can go for to split them, but in meantime, Fuentes comes out to go at 124kg … and Funmi Oduwaiye takes her final go in the shot, looking to force her way from fifth into the medal positions … but she cannot. Still, a great effort from her, but back to the powerlifting, Fuentes, who missed 120 in the opening round, bangs 124 to break the Paralympic record! I’m not certain how things progress from here, but bear with me and I’ll let you know once I do.
Go on Olivia! She takes out 119kg, so if Xiao Jinping can’t complete her next lift, I think she’ll take silver because Xiao failed at 123. For her part, the Chinese will, I imagine, go for gold and look to beat the 120 leading mark. Yup, she’s going for 123kg and here it comes…
She’s going for 119kg, secure in the knowledge bronze is hers…
That battle for the bronze is raging in the powerlifting. Akidakhon Akhtamova of Uzbekistan can’t lock out 115kg and here comes Camila Campos of Chile trying for 117, Broome having raised 114 … and she can’t! So Bose Bejide of Nigeria attacks 118 … nope. Broome is next to go, 119 to beat to move second and 120 to go first.
The shot’s going on, a Brit is chucking, and on the specific athletics coverage we’re watching … a medal ceremony. Come on lads.
Arelle Middleton, the 16-year-old American, is second in the shot and she delivers 12.02 – 17cm off her best but still well beyond the next best, that 11.77 I mentioned a moment ago.
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Time to drop in on the women’s F64 shot and Funmi Oduwaiye is ready. She spins … and lands 10.90, well off her best of 11.27, which is good enough for fourth. For third, she needs to better Yang Yue’s 11.77.
Now then! Clara Fuentez Monasterio of Venezuela has just smashed 120kg in the powerlifting and leads, having broken the Paralympic record; there are five athletes contesting the medals, and this is getting serious. Broome slips down to the bronze-medal position.
In the men’s F11 discus, Hassan Bajoulvand of Iran leads with 47.75; they’ve had three goes of six.
I’ve now got the women’s up to 50kg powerlifting on and Olivia Broome, currently third, has just nailed 114kg to put herself into the silver medal position after her second of two attempts. Currently leading is Xiao Jinpeng with 119,
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Also going on:
Florian Jouanny of France wins gold in the men's H1-2 road race
Sergio Garrote Munoz of Spain takes silver and Luca Mazzone of Italy bronze.
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Oh, and second in that race was Daniel Romanchuk of USA who I remember from Tokyo – he won gold in the 400m – and the London marathon. He’s also taken 5000m gold at these Games, which is to say the final should be a proppoh beltoh.
And he comes through to nick third, just, by 0.55 of a second. The heat winner, Jin Hua of China, does so in a Paralympic record time of 1:31.50.
Back to the men’s 800m, Marcel Hug, the double defending champ and world record holder, is fourth at the bell with three to qualify…
Coming up – I’m not sure when because it’s meant to be now and isn’t – Alfie Hewett, the world number one, plays in the semis of the men’s wheelchair tennis against the world number three, Martin de la Puente of Spain. Along with Gordon Reid, Hewett made the final of the doubles last evening and is hot favourite to take gold in both.
On the track, Nathan Maguire of GB has just eased through to the final of the men’s T54 800m; that’s at 7.21 this evening, and he looks in decent nick.
I don’t even know what to say. This is so desperately devastating and enraging.
In the men’s H1-2 road race, Florian Jouanny of France is the clubhouse leader, completing the course in 1:20.18. There are three riders still on the course, but I don’t think they’re going to threaten him.
Ah, I meant to say so please forgive me I know not what I do, please forgive me, I can’t stop loving you, don’t deny me, this pain I’m going through – Olivia Breen of GB finished fourth in the women’s T38 long jump, for which Luca Ekler has just rung the bell. What a great addition that is to proceedings; do LA just copy it or come up with something bigger?
The final of the women’s F64 shot is also in progress. Yao Juan of China leads with 12.39, while Arelle Middleton, the 17-year-old American, is second on 12.19, a PB; Funmi Oduwaiye of GB is fourth on 11.06, but has only had one of six goes.
Back to women’s F57 shot, Safia Djelal of Algeria still leads with 11.56; there are three athletes to go.
Luka Ekler of Hungary wins gold in the women's T38 long jump
Nele Moos of Germany takes bronze and Karen Moreno of Colombia bronze.
In the women’s T38 long jump, Nele Moos of Germany has just nailed her final jump, hitting 5.13, which puts her in the silver medal position and doesn’t she love it; if Moreno, previously second with 4.99, can’t beat that with her final jump, she’ll have to settle for bronze. Here she comes …. and she can “only” manage 4.74m. So Ekler of Hungary will now jump as champion, looking to break the Games record … but a no jump means a PB and the gold will have to suffice.
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Maria Pomazan of Ukraine wins gold in the women's F35 shot put
Wang Jun of China takes silver and Anna Nicholson of GB bronze. I didn’t see this one as it was earlier, but gotta give credit where it’s due.
Korkut raises seven match points, and though Twomey saves two, the Turk soon completes victory and moves on to the gold-medal match. So Twomey has to content herself with a bronze medal, a fantastic effort with plenty more to come.
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Better from the lefty Twomey, cleansing back a serve to make 2-6. She badly needs a run of points, but seconds later she’s down 2-8 and Korkut needs just three more to make the final.
I’m afraid Twomey might’ve gone; she trails 0-5 in the decider now and Korkut has been ruthless since falling two behind.
Also going on is the women’s T38 long jump final. Luca Ekler of Hungary leads with a Paralympic record of 5.56m, well ahead of Karen Moreno of Colombia, in second with 4.99.
We’re playing a deciding set in the table tennis; it’s intense but for now, Korkut leads 3-0. Can Twomey compose herself to respond?
In the Stade de France, it’s the medal ceremony for the Men’s T13 400 metres, in which Buinder Bermúdez won bronze. No snaps as yet, but the Colombian trackies are excellent – below is from the men’s long jump T38 final.
Back at the table tennis, Korkut has takes the third set and leads Twomey 5-3 in the third. This looks like it’s going all the way, and it deserves to.
There are three riders contesting two medals: Jennette Jansen of Netherlands, Annika Zeyen-Giles of Germany and Francesca Porcellato of Italy … and Jansen goes! She zooms out of the final corner, Zeyen-Giles responds but can’t catch up and Porcellato is gone!
Lauren Parker wins gold for Australia in the women’s H1-4 road race
An incredible performance from an incredible athlete. The minor medals are yet to be decided.
And I’ve got the women’s H1-4 road race on, in which Lauren Parker of Australia has gone; the rest of the field need to decide whether they can catch her, now, or let her take gold and work out their route to silver or bronze.
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I’m also watching the morning’s T&F. In the women’s F57 shot, Safia Djelal of Algeria leads with a Paralympic record of 11.56, but the athletes take all six goes on the spin and there are still seven competitors to go.
Bly Twomey, a sage 14, is playing in the semi of the table tennis and she leads Kubra Korkut of Turkey by two sets to love, though trails 4-2 in the third. If you’re near a telly, I recommend you get this on.
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Preamble
Salut and welcome the Paralympics 2024 – day eight!
As ever, we’ve a ludicrous quantity of gorgeous sport for you today. Iona Winnifrith goes for GB in the SB7 100m breaststroke – and she’s 13!; Sammi Kinghorn, yesterday’s 100m hero, goes in the 400m; Olivia Broome and Mark Swan have powerlifting prospects; home prospect Timothee Adolphe takes on the T11 100m final; the men’s basketball semis are upon us; and we’ve all sorts coming at you from the pool.
But given it’s all already started, I’m going to shut up so we can dive in. On y va!
