Paralympics LIVE: Great Britain’s Brock Whiston wins silver on Games debut at Paris 2024
ParalympicsGB’s Jaco van Gass, Lizzi Jordan and Tully Kearney also won golds on day two
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The Paralympic Games kicked off in fine fashion on Thursday as the action got underway at Paris 2024.
And day two was another golden day for Paralympics GB who added to their medal tally with incredible performances in the pool and on the velodrome track.
Blaine Hunt started the medal rush with a silver in the men’s C4-5 1000m time trial at the velodrome before Matt Robertson won bronze in the men’s C2 3000m individual pursuit. Jaco van Gass then defeated GB teammate Finlay Graham in the C3 3000m individual pursuit to claim ParalympicsGB’s first gold medal of the day with Graham also adding a silver.
Elizabeth Jordon and pilot Dannielle Khan were also victorious as they won Britain’s fourth gold of the Games win the women’s B 1000m time trial while Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl also won bronze.
In the pool, Tully Kearney added to the gold medley she won in the women’s S5 200m freestyle yesterday by triumphing in the 100m event this afternoon and Maisie Summers-Newton defended her title in the women’s SM6 200m medley.
Elsewhere, Zachary Shaw qualified for the final of the men’s T12 100m, while team-mate Eden Rainbow-Cooper also progressed in the women’s T54 5000m.
Follow all the action, latest results and medals from Paris 2024 in our live blog below:
Brits go for gold in velodrome
The C4-5 1,000m time trial final is underway. ParalympicsGB have three men, Archie Atkinson, Jody Cundy and Blaine Hunt, competing for the medals.
The first of them to ride is Atkinson. This is his first Paralympic Games and he’s an outside shout for a medal.
Atkinson gets off to a strong start and immediately takes the lead. At the halfway mark he’s three seconds up on the only other competitior to go so far.
Finishing up the final lap, he crosses the line with a time of 1:03.538!
That’s pretty strong and with four riders to come he’s sitting in first place.
Munro misses out in taekwondo
ParalympicsGB’s Beth Munro, who was the silver medalist in Tokyo, was beaten in her taekwondo quarter final.
She now enters the repechage and will fight for a place in the bronze medal contest. That bout is expected to start about 4.3pm BST.
Munro became ParalympicsGB’s very first medalist in para taekwondo in Japan having only taken up the sport in 2019.
Hannah Cockroft puts Paralympics record on the line in Paris: ‘I’m the one to beat’
Seven-time champion Hannah Cockroft insisted there is “not a single thought” Paris 2024 will be her final Paralympics as she sent out an ominous warning to her rivals.
Wheelchair racer Cockroft has dominated the women’s T34 classification for more than a decade after bursting on to the scene with two golds at London 2012.
The 32-year-old is poised to put her 100 per cent Games record on the line on Sunday when she defends her 100m title at Stade de France before bidding to retain the 800m crown the following Saturday.
Hannah Cockroft puts Paralympics record on the line in Paris: ‘I’m the one to beat’
The wheelchair racer has dominated the women’s T34 classification since making her debut in London and puts her 100 per cent record on the line in Paris
Brits go for gold
ParalympicsGB riders Archie Atkinson, Jody Cundy, and Blaine Hunt all qualified in the men’s C4-5 1,000m time trials this morning.
They’re going up against each other this afternoon for the gold medal. That event starts in around 10 minutes time.
Klopp supporting badminton star Wojtek Czyz
Jurgen Klopp is spectating at the Paris 2024 Paralympics and has been voicing his support for friend Wojtek Czyz.
“It’s just very, very special, very special,” added Klopp. “I couldn’t be prouder – to do it again in a different sport.
“Imagine you decide tomorrow, ‘by the way, it would be a good idea if I go to the Olympics or the Paralympics’. Whichever sport, you think, ‘what did I like as a kid?’ Here it is, that’s super special.
“It’s the most inspiring story I’ve heard in my life. This story has to be told, it has to be, it has to be, it’s just not normal.”
Cyclists shine for GB
Back to the velodrome and GB’s Fin Graham has set a new world record in the men’s C3 3,000m individual pursuit qualifier.
It only lasted a few minutes before teammate Jaco van Gass beat Graham’s time!
Graham recorded a time of 3:17.305, breaking the world record which had been previously held by Van Gass. 37-year-old Van Gass reclaimed the record 3:15.488 which is just lightning quick.
The two will now go head-to-head in the race for gold this afternoon.
British paralympian suspended
Sir Lee Pearson, GB’s third most successful Paralympian, has been suspended by British Equestrian.
ParalympicsGB last month named an all-female dressage team of Natasha Baker, Mari Durward-Akhurst, Sophie Wells and Georgia Wilson for this year’s Games.
“British Equestrian and British Dressage are aware of concerns and allegations that have arisen around an individual within the dressage community,” British Equestrian said.
“In accordance with our own procedures, the matter is under active investigation and the individual is suspended from both organisations while that investigation takes place.
“No further comment will be made at this time.”
Equestrian events are scheduled to begin on Tuesday at Chateau de Versailles.
Pine clinches archery nail-biter
Wow!
In the women’s compound elimination archery match, Phoebe Pine of Great Britain has secured a spot in the second round but did so in nail-biting fashion.
She held her nerve for the final arrow and beat Ecuador’s Diana Guaman, 142-141. Pine now faces Australia’s Melissa Tanner tomorrow at 3:30pm BST.
Robertson to race for bronze medal
Matt Robertson’s fine ride in the men;s C2 3,000m individual pursuit qualifying has been beaten. Belgium’s Ewoud Vromant went faster than the Brit before France’s Alexandre Leaute broke his own world record with a time of 3:24.298.
Those two will compete for the gold medal later today with Robertson, who was the third fastest qualifier, going up against Japan’s Shota Kawamoto for the bronze.
Cox on reaching Paris 2024
Paris 2024 marks a decade since Kadeena Cox was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and the last year has been perhaps her roughest yet, racked with relapses and plagued with injuries.
It all culminated in a cruel crash on the first turn of the 500m time trial, an event in which the 33-year-old was meant to win ParalympicsGB’s first medal of the Games and retain her title.
“The fact that I got here was amazing in itself,” said Cox, who posted the second-quickest time in qualifying. “I’m just gutted that I was able to ride a ride that was pretty great in the first round and then not go out there and show what I’m capable of.”
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