Turkey claimed the women's goalball crown for a third consecutive Paralympic Games on Thursday night following their 8-3 victory over Israel at the South Paris Arena.
Sevda Altunoluk scored four goals and Fatma Gul Guler was on target three times in the rout which enabled the team to eclipse Canada's back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2004 and become the sport's most successful female side.
"We are so proud and so happy," said Seydanur Kaplan who was in the squad that won gold in Tokyo in 2021. "It is a big victory.
"But it wasn't easy because it was a final," added the 24-year-old. "It was so hard but we are family.
"I think this is our secret. It is our special quality. We are a band of sisters because, you know, we live everything together ... crying, happiness."
Goalball, along with boccia, are the only two sports exclusive to the Paralympics.
Before the game, as the Turkish and Israeli players limbered up for their showdown, a spry young man whirled around the court perimeter brandishing a placard bearing the twin legends: "Get loud!!!" and "Ambiancez vous!!!"
The 3,000 fans duly responded to both exhortations.
But within minutes of satisfying his commands, a somewhat sterner usher was suggesting another pitch.
Silence
"Quiet please," match referee Raquel Aguado beseeched the frenzied throng.
Cheerily came the compliance.
For silence is golden during goalball. Noise will prevent the three players stretched out along the nine-metre width of the court from hearing the approach of the 1.25kg rubber ball which contains bells.
The game of two 12-minute halves consists of hurling the ball into the opposing team's goal which lies at the other end of the 18-metre court.
Players – who all have various levels of visual impairment – wear opaque goggles to ensure parity.
To score, a player must ensure the ball bounces on their side of the pitch and also in the opponents' half before it enters the net.
Altunoluk bagged a brace and Guler was also on target as Turkey raced into a 3-0 lead in the first four minutes of the final.
Lihi Ben David pulled one back for Israel. But three more goals from Guler and another from Altunoluk underlined Turkish authority.
Ben David's second of the match just before half-time suggested Israel had a chance.
But they were unable to make an early strike in the second-half. Turkey scored again to effectively kill off the match. Ben David's third was a mere consolation.
Surge
"There was pressure on us to win," Kaplan admitted. "There is a tension and a different feeling in every tournament.
"But we have this third one and we want to be champions again in Los Angeles in four years."
A third title looked far from obvious at the start of the competition. Turkey drew their opening game on 29 August with Brazil 3-3. They lost the next day to China and beat Israel 5-4 on 31 August to finish the group stages second behind China.
But they began to show form with victories over South Korea in the last eight and Brazil in the semis to set up the final with Israel who beat Canada and China in the knockout stages.
"We learned so much during those early games," said Kaplan. "We didn't make the same mistakes again ... so now it looks like it is easy."
The men's gold medal match between Japan and Ukaine was a closer affair.
Japan took a 2-0 lead before Ukraine pulled back to 2-2. Japan nudged 3-2 ahead mid way through the second-half.
But Ukraine levelled with two minutes remaining. That brought a tense finale but neither side broke through.
The deadlock produced three minutes of "golden goal" overtime
Yuto Sano scored with 90 seconds left to give Japan their first crown since the introduction of the sport at the 1976 Paralympics in Montreal. Brazil and China took the men's and women's bronze medals respectively.
