Key events
Masters still leads the women’s road race and she’s chatting to Haenen of the Netherlands; in the men’s Vergnaud has broken away and Valize is in pursuit, catching him as I type.
Smack laid down in the men’s powerlifting, Mohamed Elmenyawy of Egypt banging 194kg first up; behind him, Herbert Aceituno of El Salvador us on 193 with two more having hosited 192.
The men complete their first lap of four, Liu Qiangli now leading but by very little. Tim de Vries of the Netherlands has been has been dropped – I think he may have endured a misfortune – but he’s chasing and Valize, his teammate, will want him back to help him go for gold. Meantime in the women’s race, they’re further behind, Chantal Haenen leading with Oksana Masters of USA, the favourite, looking strong behind her.
The distance they’ve to cover, by the way, yanking their wheels round and round, is 56.8km. I’ve no idea how they manage it and I’m in awe.
In the men’s road race, Loic Vergnaud of France is setting the pace; he won solver last time, but Mitch Valize of the Netherlands who took gold in Tokyo is only just behind and the man they all fear.
The men’s up to 59kg powerlifting is under way, the early leading mark 176kg hoisted by Stanislav Shakiyev of Kazakhstan.
I’m still buzzing from this last evening. And don’t forget, Sammi goes again in the 400m this evening; of course we’ll be bringing it to you.
Channel 4 are now showing women’s wheelchair basketball from earlier – I’ve no idea why given there’s live sport going and this is for classification 5-8. But GB beat Japan 67-55.
Tapia rings the bell and that is, I think, the end of our morning athletics sesh. But fear not: we’ve both the men’s and women’s H5 para cycling road races about to start.
Oney Tapia of Italy wins gold in the men’s F11 shot put
Hassan Bajoulvand of Iran takes silver and Alvaro del Amo Cano of Spain bronze.
…it’s good … but it’s not good enough. 40.44 isn’t his best effort but it it is better than the marks hit by all but Tapia, who’ll now take his last throw knowing he’s the champ. He has to make do with 39.09 and he celebrates like he means it, cuddling with his team. Well done sir.
Back to the discus, Alvaro del Amo Cano is about to go, lying fifth … and he lands 39.60! That shatters his PB by 40cm! He moves into the bronze-medal position and lumps pressure on Mahdi Olad who has one shot at bettering him … and he can’t! So if Bajiulvand can’t beat 41,92, having already hurled a PB of 41.75, Tapia takes gold. Here he comes…
Yao Juan of China wins gold in the women’s F64 shot put
Arelle Middleton of USA, aged just 16, takes silver and Yang Yue of China the bronze.
We’re getting towards the last round of the men’s discus, Oney Tapia of Italy leading with 41.92, landed just now, from Hassan Bajoulvand of Iran’s 47.75.
Safia Djelal of Algeria wins gold in the women’s F57 shot put with a Paralympic record of 11.56m
Xi Mian of China takes silver and Nassima Saifi of Algeria bronze.
Clara Fuentes of Venezuela wins gold in the women’s up to 50kg powerlifting with a Paralympic record of 124kg
Xiao Jinping of China takes silver and Olivia Broome of GB bronze, both raising 119.
She hollers, she lifts … and no, she can’t get it up. I think, though, that I was wrong about the rules – there’s a powerlift the athletes can go for to split them, but in meantime, Fuentes comes out to go at 124kg … and Funmi Oduwaiye takes her final go in the shot, looking to force her way from fifth into the medal positions … but she cannot. Still, a great effort from her, but back to the powerlifting, Fuentes, who missed 120 in the opening round, bangs 124 to break the Paralympic record! I’m not certain how things progress from here, but bear with me and I’ll let you know once I do.
Go on Olivia! She takes out 119kg, so if Xiao Jinping can’t complete her next lift, I think she’ll take silver because Xiao failed at 123. For her part, the Chinese will, I imagine, go for gold and look to beat the 120 leading mark. Yup, she’s going for 123kg and here it comes…
She’s going for 119kg, secure in the knowledge bronze is hers…
That battle for the bronze is raging in the powerlifting. Akidakhon Akhtamova of Uzbekistan can’t lock out 115kg and here comes Camila Campos of Chile trying for 117, Broome having raised 114 … and she can’t! So Bose Bejide of Nigeria attacks 118 … nope. Broome is next to go, 119 to beat to move second and 120 to go first.
The shot’s going on, a Brit is chucking, and on the specific athletics coverage we’re watching … a medal ceremony. Come on lads.
Arelle Middleton, the 16-year-old American, is second in the shot and she delivers 12.02 – 17cm off her best but still well beyond the next best, that 11.77 I mentioned a moment ago.
Time to drop in on the women’s F64 shot and Funmi Oduwaiye is ready. She spins … and lands 10.90, well off her best of 11.27, which is good enough for fourth. For third, she needs to better Yang Yue’s 11.77.
Now then! Clara Fuentez Monasterio of Venezuela has just smashed 120kg in the powerlifting and leads, having broken the Paralympic record; there are five athletes contesting the medals, and this is getting serious. Broome slips down to the bronze-medal position.
In the men’s F11 discus, Hassan Bajoulvand of Iran leads with 47.75; they’ve had three goes of six.
I’ve now got the women’s up to 50kg powerlifting on and Olivia Broome, currently third, has just nailed 114kg to put herself into the silver medal position after her second of two attempts. Currently leading is Xiao Jinpeng with 119,
Also going on:
Florian Jouanny of France wins gold in the men’s H1-2 road race
Sergio Garrote Munoz of Spain takes silver and Luca Mazzone of Italy bronze.
Oh, and second in that race was Daniel Romanchuk of USA who I remember from Tokyo – he won gold in the 400m – and the London marathon. He’s also taken 5000m gold at these Games, which is to say the final should be a proppoh beltoh.
And he comes through to nick third, just, by 0.55 of a second. The heat winner, Jin Hua of China, does so in a Paralympic record time of 1:31.50.
Back to the men’s 800m, Marcel Hug, the double defending champ and world record holder, is fourth at the bell with three to qualify…
Coming up – I’m not sure when because it’s meant to be now and isn’t – Alfie Hewett, the world number one, plays in the semis of the men’s wheelchair tennis against the world number three, Martin de la Puente of Spain. Along with Gordon Reid, Hewett made the final of the doubles last evening and is hot favourite to take gold in both.
On the track, Nathan Maguire of GB has just eased through to the final of the men’s T54 800m; that’s at 7.21 this evening, and he looks in decent nick.
I don’t even know what to say. This is so desperately devastating and enraging.
In the men’s H1-2 road race, Florian Jouanny of France is the clubhouse leader, completing the course in 1:20.18. There are three riders still on the course, but I don’t think they’re going to threaten him.
Ah, I meant to say so please forgive me I know not what I do, please forgive me, I can’t stop loving you, don’t deny me, this pain I’m going through – Olivia Breen of GB finished fourth in the women’s T38 long jump, for which Luca Ekler has just rung the bell. What a great addition that is to proceedings; do LA just copy it or come up with something bigger?
The final of the women’s F64 shot is also in progress. Yao Juan of China leads with 12.39, while Arelle Middleton, the 17-year-old American, is second on 12.19, a PB; Funmi Oduwaiye of GB is fourth on 11.06, but has only had one of six goes.
Back to women’s F57 shot, Safia Djelal of Algeria still leads with 11.56; there are three athletes to go.
Luka Ekler of Hungary wins gold in the women’s T38 long jump
Nele Moos of Germany takes bronze and Karen Moreno of Colombia bronze.
In the women’s T38 long jump, Nele Moos of Germany has just nailed her final jump, hitting 5.13, which puts her in the silver medal position and doesn’t she love it; if Moreno, previously second with 4.99, can’t beat that with her final jump, she’ll have to settle for bronze. Here she comes …. and she can “only” manage 4.74m. So Ekler of Hungary will now jump as champion, looking to break the Games record … but a no jump means a PB and the gold will have to suffice.
Maria Pomazan of Ukraine wins gold in the women’s F35 shot put
Wang Jun of China takes silver and Anna Nicholson of GB bronze. I didn’t see this one as it was earlier, but gotta give credit where it’s due.
Korkut raises seven match points, and though Twomey saves two, the Turk soon completes victory and moves on to the gold-medal match. So Twomey has to content herself with a bronze medal, a fantastic effort with plenty more to come.
Better from the lefty Twomey, cleansing back a serve to make 2-6. She badly needs a run of points, but seconds later she’s down 2-8 and Korkut needs just three more to make the final.
I’m afraid Twomey might’ve gone; she trails 0-5 in the decider now and Korkut has been ruthless since falling two behind.
Also going on is the women’s T38 long jump final. Luca Ekler of Hungary leads with a Paralympic record of 5.56m, well ahead of Karen Moreno of Colombia, in second with 4.99.
We’re playing a deciding set in the table tennis; it’s intense but for now, Korkut leads 3-0. Can Twomey compose herself to respond?
In the Stade de France, it’s the medal ceremony for the Men’s T13 400 metres, in which Buinder Bermúdez won bronze. No snaps as yet, but the Colombian trackies are excellent – below is from the men’s long jump T38 final.
Back at the table tennis, Korkut has takes the third set and leads Twomey 5-3 in the third. This looks like it’s going all the way, and it deserves to.
There are three riders contesting two medals: Jennette Jansen of Netherlands, Annika Zeyen-Giles of Germany and Francesca Porcellato of Italy … and Jansen goes! She zooms out of the final corner, Zeyen-Giles responds but can’t catch up and Porcellato is gone!
Lauren Parker wins gold for Australia in the women’s H1-4 road race
An incredible performance from an incredible athlete. The minor medals are yet to be decided.
And I’ve got the women’s H1-4 road race on, in which Lauren Parker of Australia has gone; the rest of the field need to decide whether they can catch her, now, or let her take gold and work out their route to silver or bronze.
I’m also watching the morning’s T&F. In the women’s F57 shot, Safia Djelal of Algeria leads with a Paralympic record of 11.56, but the athletes take all six goes on the spin and there are still seven competitors to go.
Bly Twomey, a sage 14, is playing in the semi of the table tennis and she leads Kubra Korkut of Turkey by two sets to love, though trails 4-2 in the third. If you’re near a telly, I recommend you get this on.
Preamble
Salut and welcome the Paralympics 2024 – day eight!
As ever, we’ve a ludicrous quantity of gorgeous sport for you today. Iona Winnifrith goes for GB in the SB7 100m breaststroke – and she’s 13!; Sammi Kinghorn, yesterday’s 100m hero, goes in the 400m; Olivia Broome and Mark Swan have powerlifting prospects; home prospect Timothee Adolphe takes on the T11 100m final; the men’s basketball semis are upon us; and we’ve all sorts coming at you from the pool.
But given it’s all already started, I’m going to shut up so we can dive in. On y va!
