PARIS (AFP) – The Paralympic amputee sprinters burst into action on Sunday and Britain chased China’s medal haul with a golden success in the pool and on the track.
There was a setback though for the organisers who were forced to delay the triathlon events by 24 hours due to concerns about the water quality of the River Seine after heavy rain.
China set the pace again on the fourth day of competition to amass 33 gold medals but Britain moved onto 23 golds after bagging 12 golds on Sunday, the country’s best performance on a single day at a Paralympics this century.
The USA and Brazil both have eight golds.
One of the outstanding British successes came from wheelchair racer Hannah Cockcroft who made it four titles in the women’s T34 100 metres in four Paralympics stretching back to London 2012.
Cockcroft said she had been boosted by the roars of the estimated 50,000 crowd at the Stade de France.
“My wheels were vibrating!” she said. “They said ‘On your marks’ and it didn’t go quiet.
“I was afraid I wasn’t going to hear the gun. But this is what we want, it’s fantastic.”
“I means so much to get a fourth gold,” she added, and pledged to keep competing until the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics – but her immediate priority is her wedding to fellow British Paralympian Nathan Maguire later this year.
In the pool, British swimmer Maisie Newton Summers won her second gold medal of these Games by taking the SB6 100m breaststroke title.
Britain also won three golds in the track cycling as well, but China’s excellence across a wide range of sports kept them out in front, with eight golds so far in swimming alone. Yang Hong winning the men’s SB6 breaststroke title was among their haul in the pool.
Setting the pace
Italy’s Maxcel Amo Manu set the pace when the amputee sprinters strapped on their blades and roared into action, while social media sensation Hunter Woodhall scraped into the final.
Manu, who won the world title last year, set a new Paralympic record of 10.69sec to lead all qualifiers in the men’s T64 100m.
Woodhall had to run flat out to finish third from the outside lane in a time of 11.02sec and book his place in Monday’s final.
The 25-year-old American is one half of an Olympic-Paralympic super couple with his wife Tara Davis-Woodhall, who was crowned Olympic women’s long jump champion in the same stadium just weeks ago.
The couple’s Instagram account charting their adventures at the Olympics and their life since has attracted more than half a million followers.
Woodhall, who was given a special roar from the crowd when he was introduced, said: “It’s just so special that the Paralympics are getting this much excitement and hype. I’m just glad people showed up and I’m hoping to give them a good show tomorrow.”
He said his wife will be in the crowd for the final: “She wouldn’t miss it.”
Britain’s Jonnie Peacock, a two-time champion in the event, also progressed after finishing third in the first heat.
The water quality of the Seine, an issue that has dogged both Olympic and Paralympic organisers this summer, caused fresh problems.
The 11 triathlon races were to take place early Sunday but after heavy rain which can stir up pollution in the river, organisers and governing body World Triathlon decided to postpone until Monday.
Meanwhile, the blind football competition kicked off at the foot of the Eiffel Tower with the players guided by a rattle in the ball.
Brazil, who have not lost a single match since the event was introduced in 2004, breezed past Turkiye 3-0 in their opening game and face host nation France next.
