Paris 2024: Para athletics and wheelchair tennis join the party on Day 2
A multitude of Para athletics medals will be decided on day two, with wheelchair tennis and Para rowing also getting under way 30 Aug 2024
It could be a soggy start to wheelchair tennis at the iconic Roland-Garros with some showers forecast on day two of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Regardless, the competition will feature exciting contests and rising stars.
The journey begins with the preliminary matches.
The men’s singles draw looks wide open. Tokyo gold medallist Shingo Kunieda, considered the most successful men's wheelchair tennis player of all time, announced his retirement in 2023.
Meanwhile, in the women’s singles, Dutch superstar Diede de Groot is bidding for back-to-back Paralympic golds.
On Friday, South Africa’s Donald Ramphadi and Lucas Sithole are expected to provide some excitement in their match-up with Chile’s Francisco Cayulef and Diego Perez.
Ramphadi had a stellar 2023, winning his first Grand Slam quad doubles title in Paris.
He also ascended to a top five quad singles players world ranking and is looking to make an impact in his Paralympic debut.
In the women’s doubles, Americans Dana Mathewson and Maylee Phelps are in action against Japan’s Momoko Ohtani and Saki Takamuro.
Mathewson was singles and doubles champion at the 2023 Parapan American Games. Paris is her third Paralympic Games.
Full wheelchair tennis programme
Medal bonanza at Para athletics
There are 14 medal events scheduled for Friday at Stade de France as Para athletics, the largest Paralympic sport, kicks off.
The first event of the day is set to be a cracker.
The women’s discus F55 has seen different gold medallists in each of the last three major championships.
China’s Dong Feixia is the defending Paralympic champion. But Mexican Rosa Maria Guerrero Cazares is in hot form after winning the 2023 World Championships in the French capital.
Erica Maria Castano Salazar from Colombia was victorious at the 2024 Worlds in Kobe, Japan.
In the men’s 5000m T11, Brazil’s Yeltsin Jacques aims to continue his winning streak.
Jacques was top of the table at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and also set a new world record at Kobe 2024.
Tunisia’s Raoua Tlili is hunting more bling in the women’s shot put F41. The world record holder (10.55m) won gold in Rio and Tokyo as well as in Kobe.
Uzbekistan’s Asila Mirzayorova is the favourite in the women’s long jump T11 as the back-to-back Paris 2023 and Kobe 2024 world champion.
Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 gold medallist and world record holder Silvania Costa of Brazil failed to qualify for Paris.
Row, row, row your boat
Reigning Paralympic champion Birgit Skarstein from Norway is a leading contender in the PR1 women’s single sculls.
Over the last 10 years, she has finished first at every World Championship she has competed in.
Israel’s Moran Samuel has finished twice in front of the Norwegian this season which could give her a psychological boost in Paris to help her improve on her Tokyo silver.
In the PR1 men’s single sculls, all eyes will be on Paralympic champion Roman Polianskyi from Ukraine, but Great Britain’s Benjamin Pritchard and Italy’s Giacomo Perini will give him a run for his money.
Para cycling turns up the heat
World records were falling left, right and centre at the Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines on the first day of competition.
Will there be more on day two?
Para cyclists are hoping to turn up the heat again in eight medal events.
Spain’s Alfonso Cabello Llamas, who won gold in Tokyo, will continue his rivalry with Great Britain’s Jody Cundy, who settled for silver at the last Games in the men’s C4-5 1000m time trial.
Australia’s Emily Petricola, 44, is hoping to defend her Tokyo gold in the women’s C4 3000m individual pursuit.
She is the world record holder for the event.
USA’s Shawn Morelli, Canada’s Keely Shaw and fellow Australian Meg Lemon will be pushing hard for podium finishes.
