Paris 2024: Big moments on Day 1

As the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games kicks off we're bringing you the cannot-miss sport updates and behind the scenes magic moments. Follow for updates throughout the day.

Boccia women make history 

Hungary’s Alexandra Szabo was one of eight women to make history as boccia got underway at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. 

For the first time at the Paralympics, men and women are competing separately in the individual competition.   

Szabo was among the eight women who started the first session, and beat Germany’s Anita Raguwaran 6-0 in their Preliminary Round Pool D BC4 match. 

Szabo said: "It's a big day for boccia. Separating men's and women's events at the Paralympics is a good move for boccia overall, but especially for the women players.  
 
"When they first separated the events in the European championships, I won a medal there. And, here, too, I want to win a medal.  
 
"Gold is the target, but I will be happy to win a medal of any colour." 

The men started this year’s competition in the morning session, with Tokyo 2020 Individual BC2 gold medal winner Hidetaka Sugimura among the Preliminary Round winners as he defeated China’s Zhijian Lan 5-0 in their Pool E meeting. 

Sugimura said: "I was nervous at times, but the cheers and support from the crowd gave me strength. It's good that I won and won 5-0. 

"I want to win a gold medal again because I have gained more energy and confidence through the support of the Japanese people, my teammates, the boccia community and our staff members, since Tokyo 2020.  

"I want to enjoy the challenge of getting another gold. There's a lot of support for me and the Japanese team. I am grateful for that." 

Boccia, in the Paralympic program since 1984, has 11 medal events at Paris 2024 compared with seven at Tokyo 2020.  

First gold medal awarded

Netherlands Para cyclist Caroline Groot became the first gold medal winner of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in the Women’s 500m time trial C4. 

Groot beat France’s Marie Patouille, who was roared on by the home crowd to take the silver medal, with Canada’s Kate O’Brien clinching the bronze in third. 

Groot’s winning time for victory was 35.566 seconds at the National Velodrome. 

Groot will receive her medal from International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons. 

Passionate Klopp sees Para badminton get underway 

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was among the crowd as the Para badminton started on Day 1 in Paris. 

Klopp was courtside at Porte de La Chapelle Arena to watch his long-term friend Wojtek Czyz on the first day of competition, and was impressed by what he saw. 

Czyz, who represented Germany in three Paralympic Games before moving to New Zealand, who he now competes for, lost 2-0 to Great Britain's Daniel Bethell. 

Klopp said: "We said congratulations to Daniel I think that's the right thing. 

"Yes he played badminton, unfortunately against one of the best in the world, obviously so it makes life not easier, but I could enjoy each second, and each point - I had enough time to celebrate each point. 

"I couldn't be prouder of him, to be here again with all the things in between, the start of the dream and being here. Yesterday we stood in front of the Eiffel Tower and we both thought 'wow'. It's super, super special." 

Klopp also enjoyed his experience of the Opening Ceremony at the Place de la Concorde on Wednesday night. He added: “I saw so many athletes with big smiles, in the stands. 

"We've experienced here now in Paris the Olympics, and before that the world was in a big crisis, but for two and half weeks we forgot it because that's what sport can do. 

"The stories behind the athletes are always special, and that's what I love about sport, that it can change the world." 

Kudadadi wins bronze as Hollywood star Chan watches Para taekwondo 

Refugee Paralympic Team athlete Zakia Khudadadi made history by winning the team's first-ever Games medal, with bronze in the women’s K44 -47kg category.

While she lost to Ziyodakhon Isakova of Uzbekistan in the quarter finals, Khudadadi won her repechage bout against Nurcihan Ekinci of Turkiye, coming from behind for a 9-1 win. She secured her maiden medal after her opponent in the bronze medal bout pulled out.  

Hollywood star Jackie Chan continued the Day 1 theme of famous faces in the crowd by taking in the action during the opening session. 

Earlier, the 2023 World Champion Jessica Garcia Quijano came through her K44-52kg quarter-final by beating Milana Krassavtseva of Kazakhstan 10-8. 

Garcia said: "I'm still full of adrenaline, of emotions. I've worked really hard for these Games, for a long period of time. To finally be able to put it all out there is just amazing.  

"I'm happy to have made it to the semifinals. That's the first important step towards a possible gold medal. Let's hope I get through again." 

Great Britain enjoy double success  

Great Britain’s quest for gold in both wheelchair rugby and wheelchair basketball got off to a flying start.

Great Britain beat Australia 58-55 in the Wheelchair Rugby Preliminary Round Group B at Champ-de-Mars Arena, with Aaron Phipps becoming his country’s all-time top scorer with 25 tries. 

“This was a massive game. Australia are a class act and the way it was last time, we didn't actually play against them in Tokyo (2020 Paralympic Games). So, to come here and win, it was just a really important game,” said Phipps. 

In wheelchair basketball, Great Britain defeated Germany 76-55 in their Group A game at the Bercy Arena. 

Gregg Warburton said: “Definitely a good start for sure. We did a lot of the fundamentals and basics we want to do that we know if we take care of, come the end of the tournament - we'll be in a good place."