7h agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 4:45am

Day 11: Aussie medallists and para athletes in action

By Luke Pentony

It’s the final day of competition in Paris for the Australian contingent (all times AEST):

Medallists:

  • Para athletics: Women’s marathon T54 — Madison de Rozario🥈

Upcoming events:

Para powerlifting

  • 10pm: Women’s over 86kg final — Hani Watson🏅

1m agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 12:25pm

Para powerlifting: Watson 6th after first round

By Amanda Shalala

Australian Para powerlifter Hani Watson is smiling as she sits in her wheelchair.
Australia’s Hani Watson happy after her first lift.(Reuters)

Nigeria’s Folashade Oluwafemiayo is the leader in the women’s over 86kg final after the first round of attempts with a lift of 157kg.

Queensland’s Hani Watson is in 6th.

2m agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 12:23pm

Wheelchair basketball: Dutch take their chances to lead at half-time

By Luke Pentony

The Netherlands playing the US in the wheelchair basketball final.
The Dutch took the lead during the second quarter.(Getty Images)

We have the makings of a classic on our hands in the women’s wheelchair basketball final.

Having trailed after the first quarter, the Netherlands changed gears to establish a 31-24 lead over the US by half-time.

Mariska Beijer leads the scoring for the Dutch with 12 points.

Rose Hollermann also has a 12-point haul for the US.

14m agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 12:11pm

Para powerlifting: Watson with great first attempt

By Amanda Shalala

Hani Watson pumps her fists and does a little shimmy after a fantastic first lift of 133kg.

She has a huge smile and you can see just how much it means to her to be competing in Paris.

19m agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 12:07pm

Wheelchair basketball: US lead but Dutch close gap

By Luke Pentony

the US playing Netherlands in wheelchair basketball at the Paris Paralympics.
The US and the Netherlands are locked in a tight tussle.(Reuters)

The US hold a 12-8 lead over the Netherlands at quarter-time in the gold medal game.

The Americans are seeking their fifth gold in women’s wheelchair basketball.

The Dutch have won once, three years ago at the Tokyo Games.

24m agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 12:02pm

Para powerlifting: Watson gets her moment in Paris

By Amanda Shalala

 She’s had to wait until the penultimate event of the Paralympics, on the final day of competition, but Aussie Hani Watson is finally making her Paralympic debut.

She’s known as ‘bench queen’ and will be hoping for a royal performance in the women’s over 86kg final.

There are three rounds in the final, with the athletes’ best lift counted.

Let’s go Hani!

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25m agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 12:01pm

Wheelchair basketball: US open early lead in final

By Luke Pentony

With four minutes remaining in the opening period, the US led the Netherlands 8-2.

The Dutch are the defending champions, while the US won at the 2016 Games in Rio.

36m agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 11:50am

Wheelchair basketball: Netherlands take on US for gold

By Luke Pentony

It’s come down to this in the women’s wheelchair basketball competition — the Netherlands facing off with the US for the gold.

We’ll keep you updated throughout the final.

47m agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 11:38am

Medal table update: Australia will finish 9th

By Amanda Shalala

There are still three more medal events to close out the Paris Paralympics, but it’s worth checking in on the medal table.

Australia will end up in 9th position, regardless of whether Hani Watson medals in the Para powerlifting.

It’s just behind Australia’s 8th place finish in Tokyo with 21 gold.

And China most definitely will end up on top with an eye watering 94 gold medals, and 219 medals overall so far.

It’s been a huge campaign for Great Britain too who’ll secure third spot.

A screenshot of the Paralympic medal table showing China on top with 94 gold and Australia 9th win 18 gold.
(IPC)

1h agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 11:24am

Bloggers favourite: Scintillating Storey gets it done once again

By Henry Hanson

British para cyclist Sarah Storey smiles and has both hands in the air raised triumphantly after winning gold.
(Reuters)

Great Britain’s Sarah Storey is quite simply one of the most dominant athletes ever.

She has now won 19 Paralympic gold medals across swimming and cycling.

Her latest came in the women’s C4-5 road race.

The now 46-year-old was pushed all the way by French young-gun Heidi Gaugain, but eventually Storey’s experience won out and the Brit wrote another chapter in her remarkable sporting story.

It really felt like Storey offered Gaugain the baton before snatching it away immediately.

1h agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 11:21am

Tell us your favourite Paris Paralympic moment

By Luke Pentony

We’ll be revealing our favourite moments from the Paris Paralympics as competition continues to winds down.

But we want to know what memories you’ll take away from the past 11 days.

Leave a message in the comments section and we’ll try to post as many as we can!

1h agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 11:15am

Para canoe: Emotional McGrath upset after va’a final

By Amanda Shalala

Australian para canoeist Curtis McGrath sitting in his canoe with a neutral expression after finishing a race.
(Reuters)

Curtis McGrath is wiping away tears as he talks to the Nine Network after his fourth place finish in the va’a VL3 final.

He was the defending champion, and was candid when reflecting on how the race panned out.

“It’s a pretty blowy day, so the conditions not the fastest,” he told Nine.

“I thought it would add a little bit of an upper hand, being able to do both sides of my boat.

“But
in the end, it was probably my undoing.

“I was quite confident the kayak, it’s been the one I favour, it’s better on my body.

“I think this is why I’m so upset, is that it’s the last race I’ll ever do in that V1 so wanted to come home with something, but not today.

“The pressure, obviously, it’s heavy, but at the same time, it’s racing, can’t always be the best.

“Someone else is going to come along and take that spot, and it’s what’s happened today.

“And I’m proud of what I’ve done and what I’ve achieved in this sport.”

1h agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 10:43am

Para canoe: McGrath misses the medals in va’a

By Amanda Shalala

Aussie Curtis McGrath hasn’t been able to defend his Paralympic crown in the men’s va’a single 200m VL3 final, finishing in fourth spot.

McGrath had a good start and seemed to have things under control, but in the latter part of the race he started to veer off course and lost crucial time as he straightened his boat to get back on track.

Ukraine’s Vladyslav Yepifanov came through to win gold, Great Britain’s Jack Eyers claimed silver, and New Zealand’s Peter Cowan just pipped McGrath at the finish to get the bronze.

McGrath still comes away from Paris with gold in the kayak, and he’ll be thrilled to get back home to his wife Rachel and their newborn son Monty.

1h agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 10:31am

Para canoe: McGrath to race for his fifth career gold shortly

By Amanda Shalala

Curtis McGrath has been a hugely influential figure for the Australian team at these Games as the co-captain, and two-time defending champion in his kayak and va’a Para canoe events.

He completed his first mission yesterday in the kayak, and shortly, it’s his time to shine in the va’a.

There have been three women’s kayak finals today, Chile’s Katherinne Wollermann won the KL1, Great Britain’s Charlotte Henshaw won the KL2, and GB’s Laura Sugar claimed the KL3.

There was also a gold medal decided in the men’s va’a VL2, that went to Brazil’s Fernando Rufino de Paulo.

McGrath’s VL3 final will close out the Para canoe program.

2h agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 10:13am

What’s still to come on the final day of competition?

By Amanda Shalala

We’re rapidly approaching the end of the sporting action in Paris, but we still have a few key events to come.

Australian Para canoeist has a finger raised in the air at the end of a kayak race.
Curtis McGrath after his kayak gold.(Getty Images)

Australia’s reigning gold medallist Curtis McGrath will be racing in the men’s va’a single 200m VL3 final at 8:41pm AEST.

Queenslander Hani Watson‘s had to wait until today to make her Paralympic debut – she’ll take on the women’s over 86kg Para powerlifting final from 10pm.

They’re the only Aussies left in action, and we’ll also have the women’s wheelchair basketball gold medal match between the USA and Netherlands tipping off at 9:45pm.

The last event of these Games will be in the powerlifting, with the men’s over 107kg final at 11:35pm.

Then we’ll officially bid farewell to Paris with what’s sure to be a spectacular closing ceremony, starting at 4:30am.

2h agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 10:05am

Wheelchair basketball: China claims bronze

By Amanda Shalala

China has produced a comprehensive 65-43 win over Canada in the women’s wheelchair basketball bronze medal match.

Coming up, the USA will play the Netherlands for gold.

2h agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 10:00am

More love for Madi

By Amanda Shalala

What an inspiring human is our Madison!!!

– Micko

2h agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 9:51am

Para powerlifting: Medeiros triumphs for Brazil

By Amanda Shalala

Another powerlifting podium has been decided, this time in the women’s up to 86kg final.

Brazil’s Tayana Medeiros won with a best lift of 156kg.

China’s Zheng Feifei is second, and Chile’s Marion Alejandra Serrano Guajardo third.

2h agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 9:47am

Thanks to out readers

By Luke Pentony

I’m gonna miss you guys…and the athlethes (of course). Thanks for the bloggiest blog that ever did blog…😕🥲

– Natty

Thanks Natty!

We loved having you along for our Games coverage.

2h agoSun 8 Sep 2024 at 9:45am

Para canoe: GB’s Henshaw wins kayak gold, Aussie Seipel 5th

By Amanda Shalala

Great Britain’s Charlotte Henshaw has won back-to-back gold medals in the women’s kayak KL2 event, by a big margin.

Her compatriot, and va’a champion at these Games, Emma Wiggs takes silver, and Germany’s Anja Adler has bronze.

Australia’s Susan Seipel finished in fifth spot.

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