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:
Pritchard sets new Paralympics record
PR1 para rower Benjamin Pritchard has smashed his heat for Great Britain.
The Welshman set a new Games record and is just a second outside of the world record securing the best seeding for Sunday’s PR1 single sculls final.
Tully Kearney earns ‘redemption’ as GB lands three medals, two golds and one world record in the pool
Tully Kearney could be forgiven for getting a bit bored of winning things the hard way.
Kearney thought her Paralympic dreams were over after suffering a head injury last year that affected her memory and left her contemplating her future in the sport.
Vertigo kept her out the pool while she was then hit with the news she’d be reclassified for these Games, meaning she needed to compete with less impaired athletes than her previous rivals.
Kearney earns ‘redemption’ as GB lands three medals, two golds and one world record
Poppy Maskill won the 100m butterfly in a world record time for GB’s first gold of the 2024 Paralmypic Games
Maskill gold medal win ‘unreal'
Poppy Maskill shone on her Paralympic debut yesterday. She won her nation’s first gold of the Games and described the final as “unreal”.
“I was just hoping to swim my hardest and see what happens and that’s what I did. This gives me so much confidence for my other events,” said Maskill.
“Being here at my first Paralympics feels unreal. My mum, dad, sister and nan are here and I can’t wait to see them.”
Kadeena Cox addresses fall that ended Paralympics gold medal hopes
Kadeena Cox reflected that she was “emotionally all over the place” after her eight-year reign as Paralympic C4-5 time trial champion ended with a crash at Paris 2024 on Thursday, 29 August.
The British cyclist fell on the first corner of her medal race after wobbling following a slow start.
Speaking to Channel 4 after the event, the Paralympian, who has multiple sclerosis, explained how she didn’t feel comfortable in the gate.
“Unfortunately with a condition like mine, riding can’t always be perfect,” she added.
Summers-Newton in medley heat action
Maisie Summers-Newton is competing in her 200m SM6 medle heat. She’s in first place through 150m and blazes through the final freestyle length to finish with a time of 2:58.40.
She’s safely through to the final.
Beth Munro hits taekwondo trail
A medallist in Tokyo three years ago, Liverpool athlete Beth Munro will bid for taekwondo gold in the -65kg category.
Munro secured Britain’s first ever para taekwondo medal when she won silver in Japan, and the 30-year-old former netball player is relishing an opportunity to potentially go one better.
After winning a European gold medal in 2023, she looks well-set to achieve what would be a statement victory for herself and the sport in Britain.
Magnificent Maskill’s world record triumph
Swimmers Poppy Maskill and Tully Kearney provided the major British highlights on day one in Paris.
Maskill claimed a gold medal and world record in the 100m butterfly S14 category, with the 19-year-old clocking one minute and three seconds to triumph, which followed a silver for fellow British teenager William Ellard in the men’s equivalent event.
Kearney took gold in the S5 200m freestyle, clocking 2:46.50 and upgrading the silver she won at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Cyclist Daphne Schrager secured Britain’s maiden podium place in France by clinching silver in the women’s C1-3 3000m individual pursuit, while visually-impaired rider Stephen Bate and his pilot Christopher Latham added another silver for Britain at the velodrome in the B 4000m individual pursuit final.
Athletics off and running
A packed athletics programme begins in northern Paris with 12 gold medals on the line.
And that means an immediate appearance by Brazil’s Petrucio Ferreira, who is an overwhelming favourite to retain the T47 100m crown that he took in Tokyo three years ago.
His own world record of 10.29 seconds could come under threat with the Stade de France track expected to be quick, while Brazil also have a strong chance in the T11 5000m through Yeltsin Jacques.
Zachary Shaw into 100m final
Shaw’s heat was a lot slower than the first one which saw USA’s Noah Malone win the race with a time of 10.74.
But, that was the first ever race at the Paralympics for the Brit and he’s made the final which will take place tomorrow evening. A rest and a reset for him now before challenging for the medals on Saturday.
Zachary Shaw into 100m final!
ParalympicsGB’s Zach Shaw has come through his heat in the men’s T12 visual impaired 100m race. It was a tough race, with only four competitors due to the space needed to feature guides.
A false start kicks off the race with Argentina’s Fernando Vasquez disqualified by just 0.03 seconds.
28-year-old Shaw is competing in his first Paralympics and his main competition is Brazil’s Kesley Teodoro. The Brazilian gets off to the better start but Shaw gains ground over the final 50m.
Both men dip for the line and Shaw nicks it with a time of 11.15. He wins the heat by the slimmest of margins as Teodoro crosses the line in 11.16.
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