Paris 2024: Top medal highlights from Day 4
Para archer Jason Tabansky was a late call-up but made the most of it, winning gold Great Britain had a stellar day on the water, medalling in four of the five Para rowing events The first boccia and Para badminton medals of Paris 2024 were awarded Sunday 02 Sep 2024
Rowles rows to third gold
Lauren Rowles became a three-time Paralympic gold medallist on what was an outstanding day on the water for Great Britain. Along with Gregg Stevenson, Rowles won gold in the mixed double sculls PR2 by passing China in the last 100 metres.
“I don’t think you could put into words how much it means,” said Rowles. "A couple of years ago when we finished Tokyo and I thought, ‘Wow, I’ve just won my second’, I thought, ‘can it be done, the third?’”
Moran Samuel of Israel finished ahead of Birgit Skarstein in a tightly contested women’s single sculls PR1 final to claim her first Paralympic title.
“I have the bronze in Rio, silver in Tokyo. I had these two (Skarstein and bronze medallist Nathalie Benoit) to race over and over again, and lose over and over again, to win this one race, which was the most important one.”
Australia’s Jed Altschwager and Nikki Ayers became the first-ever Paralympic champions in the new mixed double sculls PR3 event.
De La Forest continues dream performance
Veteran French shooting Para sport athlete Tanguy de La Forest continued his career-best performance on Sunday, winning gold in the mixed 10m air rifle prone SH2, his second medal at Paris 2024.
“It is another beautiful day. A gold medal after a silver medal in the Paralympic Games in Paris. It is just amazing.”
Slovakia’s Veronika Vadovicova won her fifth Paralympic gold, finishing on top of the podium in the mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1. Vadovicova is a leading Para athlete for Slovakia, having now medalled at every Paralympic Games since Beijing 2008.
From late call-up to gold medallist
American Jason Tabansky was not initially slated to compete at Paris 2024, but was called up late to compete after Australian Para archer Christopher Davis was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Tabansky made the most of it, winning the men’s individual W1.
“It was a double-edged sword. I was thrilled to be here, but I was also heartbroken for Chris. I shot with Chris - next to him in Dubai - one of the nicest, most amazing, funny, everything. He’s the whole package. So Chris, this one’s for you too, bud.”
Matt Stutzman medalled for the United States as well, winning the men’s individual compound open, his first Paralympic medal since London 2012.
First boccia medals awarded
The first boccia medals of Paris 2024 were awarded on Sunday, with men and women competing separately in the individual competition for the first time at the Paralympics.
Portugal’s Cristina Goncalves won her first gold medal since Athens 2004 with a win over Republic of Korea’s Soyeong Jeong.
Jeong’s silver was long-awaited as well, her first Paralympic medal since bronze at London 2012.
“In London, the feeling I associated with winning a (Paralympic) medal was of freshness, of tasting my first big success as an athlete,” said Jeong.
"But this one in Paris is much bigger. Not only because it’s an upgrade from bronze to silver, but because of the painstaking 12-year-long wait it has come after.”
The men’s individual BC2 gold was won by Thailand’s Worawut Saengampa, with a convincing 6-1 win over Muhammad Bintang Herlangga of Indonesia.
Goodbye to the Velodrome
France's Marie Patouillet took gold in her final Para cycling track race of Paris 2024, the women’s C5 3000m individual pursuit, in what is likely her last Paralympic Games.
“This makes me even more sure I’m ready to stop. I’ve managed things so that everything aligns. I’ve had an unbelievable Games, it has been magical. I’m extremely lucky to choose to stop now, with this result.”
Patouillet beat out French teammate Heidi Gaugain for the gold, with the bronze going to New Zealand’s Nicole Murray on what was the last day of competition at the National Velodrome.
Sprinter Atangana wins bronze for Refugee Paralympic Team
Refugee Paralympic Team sprinter Guillaume Junior Atangana added to his team's medal tally with a bronze in the men’s 400m T11 to close out Sunday’s sessions at the Stade de France.
“It’s a great honour for me. I’ve written my moment in history,” said Atangana.
“I’m very happy to have this medal. This medal shows that the Paralympic movement for refugees galvanises people.”
Ukraine’s Oksana Zubkovska won her fifth straight Paralympic gold at the age of 43 in the women’s long jump T12, a title she’s held since Beijing 2008.
In the women’s shot put F20, Sabrina Fortune of Great Britain broke her own world record with her first throw to win gold, after missing the podium in Tokyo.
“I was really worried after Tokyo, then I accepted the fact that you don’t always stay down. You will stand up and sometimes you stand up much better. I just hoped I would. After this year of world record after world record after world record, I was thinking anything can happen.”
Mpumelelo Mhlongo claimed South Africa’s first medal of the Games, winning the men’s 100m T44.
“I’ve opened the floodgates for my teammates to do more.”
A new group of Para swimming icons
Edoardo Raimondi got to watch his dad become Paralympic champion on Sunday, with Stefano Raimondi claiming his second gold of the Games, this time in the men’s 100m freestyle S10.
“It was so hard the last 25 metres, but when I swam I thought of my son, and this gave me lots of energy to arrive at the end. My son is six months old and he arrived today, so I am very happy.”
Maisie Summers-Newton of Great Britain has continued to follow in the footsteps Ellie Simmonds, having officially defended both of her titles from Tokyo 2020, adding gold in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB6 to her 100m individual medley gold from Friday.
“Ellie Simmonds, she’ll always have my heart. She’s just an icon for me,” said Summers-Newton.
“Thinking back to when I was watching Ellie back in 2012, never ever would I have thought I would come away with four gold medals in two Paralympic Games. Let alone one, to be honest.”
The home crowd had lots to cheer about on Sunday, with Emeline Pierre becoming the first French woman to be a Paralympic swimming champion since 2012, winning the women’s 100m freestyle S10.
China remains leader in Para table tennis
China continued to be the top Para table tennis nation on Sunday, winning two of the three gold medals available on Sunday.
Poland took the top spot in the men’s doubles MD18 however, with Piotr Grudzien and Patryk Chojnowski beating China’s Liu Chaodong and Zhao Yiqing in the final.
“It was a hard match. I think the first set was the most important in the match, it was very stressful and very nervous,” said Grudzien.
“We were waiting for this one ball. But we won the set and after that we played very well.”
Para badminton medal matches begin
It was an all Japanese bronze medal match in the Para badminton men’s doubles WH1-WH2, with Daiki Kajiwara and Hiroshi Murayama winning 2-1 over compatriots Takumi Matsumoto and Osamu Nagashima.
China won both of the doubles golds that were up for grabs on Sunday, which included Liu Yu Tong and Yin Meng Lu dethroning the reigning Paralympic champions in the women’s doubles WH1-WH2, Japan’s Sarina Satomi and Yuma Yamazaki.
