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Paralympics day six: One-two for GB in S10 100m butterfly as Faye Rogers takes gold
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Faye Rogers has gone from potential Olympian to Paralympic gold medallist in three years after a car crash resulted in a fused elbow.
The 21-year-old described the experience of switching as a “whirlwind” after claiming the only gold medal for Great Britain in swimming on day six of the Games in the women’s S10 100-metre butterfly final.
Rogers, who was inspired to be an elite aquatic athlete by Hannah Miley, the three-time Olympian, was pushed by team-mate Callie-Ann Warrington who claimed silver just 0.57 seconds behind.
Rogers competed at the 2021 Olympic selection trials as a 19-year-old, but was then involved in a car accident which left her with irreparable damage to her elbow.
“It’s been an absolute whirlwind, the last three years,” she explained. “It’s actually almost exactly three years since my accident. It’s been a massive journey.
“I couldn’t be prouder of where I’ve come from and how I’ve got here. I’m really proud of seeing the positives because at times that was really, really tough.”
Rogers was told she was never going to swim competitively again. “As someone whose life revolved around swimming, that was really difficult,” Rogers added. “Getting into Para-swimming has been amazing. It’s honestly been a lifesaver for me. I don’t think I’d have coped with the accident and my impairment without being able to swim.”
“I could see Callie next to me,” said Rogers, an aspiring doctor, who is currently completing a biochemistry degree at the University of Aberdeen. “I know I have a really good second 50. I got a bit nervous but I was relatively confident. Callie put up a really good fight down that second 50. Pushed me on a lot. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”
“I just couldn’t be more grateful and also to my coach Patrick Miley, who has been absolutely amazing, supporting me every step of the way,” explained Rogers, who named Hannah Miley as a huge heroine.
“Hannah was one of my biggest inspirations growing up. I remember watching her on the TV and she got the nickname Smiley Miley and that always stuck in my head.”
When I met Patrick for the first time, it was actually at the Olympic trials in 2021, before my accident. I was a bit starstruck to be honest. I got to train with Hannah for the first couple of months after my accident, and she was so supportive as well.”
Remarkably, Rogers was swimming again three months after her accident.
“Patrick has really driven me. I was really quite negative and probably should have been like one of the worst times of my life, but it was turned into something incredibly positive. I was sculling not swimming at first, and couldn’t hold a pen, or type. The hardest thing was learning to balance again in the water.”
Ellie Challis, the quadruple amputee, finished outside the medals in the S3 100m freestyle, having won the gold medal in women’s S3 50m backstroke.
Elsewhere, the Great Britain mens’ wheelchair basketball team dominated Australia in the closing stages at Bercy Arena to win 84-64 in the quarter-finals and book a semi-final spot against Germany, who they scorched 76-55 in the group rounds.
Terry Bywater said afterwards: “We have had a great run so far, we can’t let complacency creep in now - and we won’t. This is a 12-man team with everyone primed. I’ve been in the semis so many times and this is the Games to make our dream happen.”
Britain’s equestrian team earned two bronze medals on the opening day of competition in Versailles, with Georgia Wilson, on her horse Sakura, in the individual event Grade 2 and six-time gold medallist Natasha Baker in the Grade 3 individual.
At the Stade de France, Sammi Kinghorn powered to a silver medal in the women’s T54 1500m citing motivation from an “incredible crowd”.
Piers Gilliver was “gutted” to finish with a silver medal in the men’s sabre category A having been beaten 15-8 by Germany’s Maurice Schmidt.
Gilliver had won gold in Epee in Tokyo.
“I’m pretty gutted. I hoped to come here and win the gold but it didn’t work out on the day,” said the 29 year old from Gloucester.
“The competition days are always really tough, back-to-back tough competitions and it’s hard to process. Once the Games come to a close, you can really look back and be proud of winning.”
More GB medals on day six: as it happened
08:52 PM BST
Silver medalist Callie-Ann Warrington speaking to Channel 4
“I spoke to my coaches and they were happy with the pace I went out on, they just said you need to come back a bit quicker. I delivered that and a personal best is brilliant.”
On being part of a British one-two:
“To be able to race against Faye is just everything. We have been saying to each other the last couple of months ‘come on, we can get the one-two’.
“It was lovely to have her next to me. We are very good friends until we get to the blocks, then we are competitors, and it’s nice to be able to separate that. We are both very determined people.”
08:49 PM BST
Mixed team Boccia
Having been thrashed by China in their first game in Pool C earlier, Great Britain have bounced back by beating Portugal 5-4. They will play Indonesia in the quarter-finals tomorrow morning. Indonesia won both of their pool games today.
08:27 PM BST
No medal for Maguire
China’s Hua Jin leads out from the front and the defending world champion cruises to a dominant win. Marcel Hug takes silver, nearly three seconds behind. China’s Yunqiang Dai takes the bronze. Nathan Maguire comes across the line in fifth, just two tenths of a second off a medal.
08:23 PM BST
Men’s 1500m T54 final
Off they go. Can Nathan Maguire secure a medal for Great Britain?
08:09 PM BST
Faye Rogers speaking to Channel 4
“The back-end of races are always the strongest part of my race. I was quite confident, I could see Callie fighting and we smashed it.”
On recovering from her accident three years ago:
“It’s a bit emotional, but it’s a big full circle moment and I couldn’t be prouder of myself.
“I couldn’t have asked for more from the last three years. I have the best team, I’ve made some best friends. It’s crazy. It’s so cool and I’ve started to get messages from people who have been in similar situations and I’m so grateful I can help.
“There’s always days where it feels it’s not going to get better, but I’ve found over the past three years there’s nothing I can’t do, it just might look a little different and that’s okay.”
08:08 PM BST
Para athletics
One medal chance for Great Britain at the Stade de France tonight as Nathan Maguire goes in the men’s 1500m T54 final, coming up in the next few minutes. David Weir did not make the final.
08:01 PM BST
GB through
Success for the Great Britain team in the men’s wheelchair basketball as they have defeated Australia 84-64 in the quarter-finals to book a semi-final spot on Thursday against Germany, who GB beat 76-55 in the preliminary round.
Another amazing performance by Great Britain on an enlivened court bristling with vim and vigour, perfect pacing allowing the squad to dominate Australia in the closing stages here at Bercy Arena. GB won 84-64 in the quarter-finals to book a semi-final spot on Thursday against Germany, who GB also scorched 76-55 in the group rounds. Veteran legend Terry Bywater told me: “We have had a great run so far, we can’t let complacency creep in now - and we won’t. This is a 12-man team with everyone primed. I’ve been in the semis so many times and this is the Games to make our dream happen. We come back in 48 hour with the same vigour. We need to make this our time. Thanks to the Lottery and all our sponsors.”
07:41 PM BST
Gold and silver for Great Britain
They came in as the fastest two into the final and they deliver when it matters most. Callie-Ann Warrington led for large parts but Faye Rogers kept her cool to reel her teammate in and take the gold. Warrington takes silver, Canada’s Katie Cosgriffe bronze. Rogers used to be an able-bodied swimmer but was involved in a car crash which could have ended her dreams. But, pretty much three years on to the day from her accident, Rogers has shown so much character to keep swimming and achieve what she has done tonight. Hats off to her and Warrington. Rogers’ gold is Great Britain’s 30th at these Games, consolidating second position in the medal table.
Faye Rogers (Great Britain) 1:05.84
Callie-Ann Warrington (Great Britain) +0.57
Katie Cosgriffe (Canada) +1.38
07:36 PM BST
End of quarter three in wheelchair basketball
Great Britain have the lead going into the final quarter against Australia, leading 56-51. A place in the semi-finals on Thursday awaits the winner.
07:30 PM BST
Para swimming
Time to switch attention back to the pool as Great Britain are looking for two medals in the women’s S10 100m butterfly final. Faye Rogers and Callie-Ann Warrington are both in contention for medals, with Rogers the fastest into the final and Warrington second fastest. Rogers is in lane four, Warrington lane five.
07:22 PM BST
Mixed team Boccia
Great Britain are in action against Portugal in the BC1/ BC2 preliminary round. They lost 13-1 against China earlier today.
07:19 PM BST
Gilliver guaranteed medal
Gemma Collis and Dimitri Coutya may not be winning a medal for Great Britain in the wheelchair fencing but Piers Gilliver will do as he has booked his place in the final in the men’s sabre category A after a tense 15-14 victory over Ukraine’s Artem Manko in the semi-finals. He will take on Germany’s Maurice Schmidt in the final later tonight.
07:15 PM BST
Collis out
Not a good few minutes for Great Britain as Gemma Collis has been knocked out in the wheelchair fencing. She was taking on France’s Brianna Vide in repechage round three of the women’s sabre category A but has lost 15-10, much to the home crowd’s delight.
07:13 PM BST
Matthews defeated
Unfortunately for Great Britain Thomas Matthews has been unable to join Robert Davies in the semi-finals of the men’s singles MS1 para table tennis after losing 3-1 in the quarter-finals to Cuban Yunier Fernandez. Davies will be in semi-final action tomorrow evening.
07:09 PM BST
Ellie Challis, who came fourth in the S3 100m freestyle final, talking to the BBC
“I would have liked to have been faster than that tonight but it wasn’t the night for me and that’s OK.
“Fourth is never easy to deal with but after yesterday, dreams come true - gold and gold with my room-mate - I really couldn’t have asked for more from this competition.
“I’m only 20 years old, this is my second Games and there is way more to come.”
07:03 PM BST
HT at the wheelchair basketball
Great Britain lead 38-35 against Australia at the halfway stage of their quarter-final.
06:56 PM BST
Coutya out
Not good news for Great Britain at the wheelchair fencing. In the men’s sabre category B repechage round three Great Britain’s Dimitri Coutya has been knocked out by Ukraine’s Dmytro Serozhenko 15-13, which means it is the end of the road for Coutya.
06:53 PM BST
Matthews bounces back
After losing the first game against Yunier Fernandez, Thomas Matthews has won the second 12-10 game to make it 1-1.
06:51 PM BST
History
Ihar Boki, competing as a Neutral Paralympic Athlete, has just become the most successful male Paralympian of all time as he collects his 21st gold medal with a blistering world record time in the men’s SM13 200m individual medley final. That is his fifth gold medal in Paris.
06:49 PM BST
Around the events
In the para table tennis Thomas Matthews has lost the first game to Cuba’s Yunier Fernandez in the quarter-finals.
In the men’s wheelchair fencing Dimitri Coutya is taking on Ukraine’s Dmytro Serozhenko and Coutya is 10-9 down in the second period.
06:45 PM BST
Wheelchair basketball update
First quarter GB lead Australia 17-16 in the men’s wheelchair quarter final. Given that France compete against USA in the next evening match the Arena Bercy is already almost full with 15,000 fans. Great warm up for the French; vitally important match for GB, of whom great things are expected, led by Philip Pratt, with legendary seven-time Olympian and flagbearer Terry Bywater.
06:37 PM BST
Fourth for Challis
No medal for Ellie Challis as she comes home in fourth. USA’s Leanne Smith takes the gold in a paralympic record, with Spain’s Marta Fernandez Infante taking silver and Australia’s Rachael Watson bronze.
Great Britain will have medal hopes at 19:35 in the women’s S10 100m butterfly, which features Faye Rogers and Callie-Ann Warrington. Both could get medals and potentially a gold.
06:30 PM BST
Back to the pool
It is time for the women’s S3 100m freestyle final, which features Great Britain’s Ellie Challis in lane six who won gold last night.
06:23 PM BST
Wheelchair basketball
Great Britain’s men are in action in the quarter-final against Australia and it is all square at 8-8 in the first quarter.
Over at South Paris Arena 4 Thomas Matthews is about to get under way in the men’s MS1 singles para table tennis quarter-finals against Cuba’s Yunier Fernandez. Matthews’ GB teammate Robert Davies won his quarter-final earlier.
Here just in time ... the start of the mens wheelchair basketball quarter finals... @ParalympicsGB vs AUS. This should be good...@Paralympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/hrH5iHJ0OP
— Gareth A Davies (@GarethADaviesDT) September 3, 2024
06:12 PM BST
No medals for the Humphrey sisters
Neither Eliza nor Scarlett can get a medal. Daria Lukianenko smashes the world record to take the gold. China win silver and bronze through Jia Ma and Liwen Cai. Scarlett finishes sixth with her sister Eliza seventh.
06:05 PM BST
Para swimming
It is time for the women’s SM 11 200m individual medley final, where Eliza and Scarlett Humphrey are in action for Great Britain in lanes one and two respectively.
The S11 category is for for blind or nearly blind swimmers and they compete in blacked-out goggles so it’s fair to all competitors.
06:00 PM BST
William Bayley through in men’s para table tennis MS7 singles
He completes the job to beat Bjoern Schanke 3-1 to advance to the semi-finals, which take place on Friday morning.
05:54 PM BST
Para table tennis
William Bayley is 2-1 up against Germany’s Bjoern Schnake and is one game away from the semi-finals.
Great Britain have some chances of medals in the pool in the next half an hour. In the women’s SM 11 200m individual medley the Humphreys sisters are in the final at 18.05 BST and in the women’s S3 100m freestyle Ellie Challis is looking to get another medal at 18.30.
At 18.15 GB’s men are in wheelchair bastketball action in the quarter-finals against Australia.
05:49 PM BST
Collis victorious
Gemma Collis has not allowed her defeat earlier to get her down as she has just beaten Hong Kong’s Chui Yee Yu 15-9 in repechage round two at the wheelchair fencing to advance to repechage round three to take on France’s Brianna Vide.
05:46 PM BST
Para equestrian
Equestrian over for the day. Headed on a tram/train and uber to Arena Bercy for the GB men’s wheelchair basketball quarter-finals...reports incoming soon on the tournament’s gold medal favourites. So our third rider at the venue Mari Durward-Akhurst finished sixth on debut in the Grade I individual event on her horse Athene Lindebjerg.
Mari said that she almost cried before her event on her horse given the beauty of the incredible “dream” setting and the emotion of competing at a Games, the 30-year-old having ridden horses since she was three years old. GB had already won two bronze medals in the equestrian at the Château de Versailles, as reported.
Veteran Natasha Baker, third in the Individual Test event with horse Lottie, and a former six-time gold medalist, said: “I’m so thrilled. She [Lottie] was such a superstar. I just wanted a really nice, relaxed test and that’s what we delivered. She stayed with me the entire way. We didn’t have quite as much pizzazz that I would like in ideal circumstances but I didn’t get any tension either and that’s exactly what I wanted.” Baker had endured the rain, but it’s not her forte.
“Literally, this is my worst nightmare. Tokyo was the perfect situation for me. I love it hot like yesterday, really, really hot, really sunny, the hotter, the better. In London for the team test day, it was the same. I was the only one it rained on. And I’ve been competing for all of my life. My disability has got worse with colder weather and so I much prefer 30 odd degrees. Take me back to Tokyo !”
Training and ride time have been curtailed since Tokyo, having had a baby between Games. “I could see Joshua from the stands. I didn’t see him this morning. I was up at someone ungodly hour so I said goodnight to him last night – I’m going to get emotional about it, sorry. I was blowing a kiss to him at the end of the test.”
05:38 PM BST
Kearney misses out on medal
It is not to be for Tully Kearney as China dominate, taking gold, silver and bronze through Dong Lu, Shenggao He and Yu Liu. Kearney finishes in fifth.
05:36 PM BST
Para swimming
Great Britain’s Tully Kearney is going in the women’s S5 50m backstroke final, trying to win her third gold. Kearney is in lane seven.
05:34 PM BST
Hewett and Reid through
Moments after Robert Davies’ success in the para table tennis, Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid have beaten the Dutch duo of Ruben Spaargaren and Maarten ter Hofte 6-2 6-1.
05:32 PM BST
Robert Davies wins
Into the semi-finals he goes. He went two games up before Korea’s Hakjin Kim responded by winning the next two games, but Davies held his nerve to win game five 11-8 to book his place in the semi-finals, which take place tomorrow.
05:29 PM BST
Plenty of GB interest
Where to look? Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid are just one game from victory in the wheelchair doubles tennis.
Robert Davies is attempting to book his place in the semi-finals of the para table tennis. William Bayley is just about to start his quarter-final in the MS7 against Germany’s Bjoern Schnake.
Over at the swimming Tully Kearney is going for her third gold of these Games in the women’s S5 50m backstroke.
At the wheelchair fencing Gemma Collis is taking on Hong Kong’s Chui Yee Yu in repechage round two.
05:19 PM BST
Davies under pressure
Despite winning the first two games, the momentum has completely shifted against Robert Davies as Hakjin Kim has won the next two games to take it to a deciding game.
Over at Roland Garros Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett are edging closer to victory as they lead 4-0 in the second set.
05:04 PM BST
Another break for Reid and Hewett
The GB pair are flying and now lead 3-0 in the second set. They won the first set 6-2 and look good to complete a straight sets victory.
There is also good news for Great Britain over at South Paris Arena 4 where Robert Davies has won the second game against Hakjin Kim to lead 2-0. One more game and Davies will be into the semi-finals.
Over at the wheelchair fencing, Dimitri Coutya has bounced back from defeat in the quarter-finals with a dominant 15-5 victory over the USA’s Noah Hanssen to advance to repechage round three.
Not such good news from the mixed pairs Boccia where GB have lost 7-0 to Thailand, after their defeat to Korea earlier today.
04:55 PM BST
Para table tennis
It is advantage Robert Davies, who has won the first game 11-9 against Korea’s Hakjin Kim in the quarter-finals.
04:52 PM BST
Wheelchair doubles tennis
After sailing through the first set, Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett have been made to work for the first game of the second set after a marathon first game with break and game points aplenty. What a dramatic game that was. Reid and Hewett lead the Dutch duo 6-2 1-0.
04:40 PM BST
Collis wins
Over at Grand Palais Gemma Collis is in repechage action in the women’s sabre category A against Brazil’s Carminha Oliveira and she is flying, so much so that she has reached 15 which means she automatically wins. She wins 15-0 so an emphatic display from Collis. She has booked her place in repechage round two. She can only win a bronze though after losing in the last 16.
It is not going so well though at South Paris Arena 1 where Great Britain are losing 3-0 to Thailand in the mixed pairs Boccia.
Over at South Paris Arena 4 in the men’s singles table tennis MS1 Robert Davies is taking on Korea’s Hakjin Kim in the quarter-finals.
04:29 PM BST
Hewett and Reid take first set
The GB pair roar to the first set 6-2 in just 30 minutes. They had raced into a 5-0 lead before the Dutch duo rallied a little but Hewett and Reid are halfway there to the victory.
04:26 PM BST
Mari Durward-Akhurst finishes sixth
No medal for the world number one but she does progress to the Individual Freestyle Event. Latvia’s Rihards Snikus took the gold.
04:09 PM BST
Victory for Gilliver
After disappointment earlier for Gemma Collis and Dimitri Coutya, Piers Gilliver has delivered a clinical performance to beat Italy’s Matteo dei Rossi 15-8 to progress to the semi-finals. Both Collis and Coutya have had to settle for the repechage, meaning the best they can do is go for bronze. Gilliver is now the only one who can win gold.
04:04 PM BST
Wheelchair fencing
Piers Gilliver is in action for GB in the men’s sabre category A quarter-finals against Italy’s Matteo dei Rossi and Gilliver is in complete control as he leads 8-0 after the first period.
04:02 PM BST
Boccia mixed pairs
The Great Britain duo of Sally Kidson and William Arnott are taking on Thailand’s Ladamanee Kla-Han and Akkadej Choochuenklin in the BC3 preliminary round pool B match. GB lost their opening match 6-2 to Korea earlier today.
The contest has just begun.
03:51 PM BST
No medal for Durward-Akhurst
She has been bumped down into fourth which means she is out of contention in the individual event. However she will advance to the Individual Freestyle Event with just four riders remaining.
03:50 PM BST
Wheelchair tennis
Great Britain’s Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid are preparing for their quarter-final match at Court Suzanne-Lenglen against the Dutch duo of Ruben Spaargaren and Maarten ter Hofte. This GB pair are formidable to say the least; Hewett and Reid have won 21 Grand Slam doubles titles playing alongside each other.
The match is just about to get under way.
03:43 PM BST
Durward-Akhurst into third
After a long, nervy wait, Mari Durward-Akhurst scores 72.583 to move into the bronze medal position. This will be a nervy wait for Durward-Akhurst as two of the five remaining competitors were on the podium in Tokyo. She is almost certain with that score to progress to the Individual Freestyle Event.
03:31 PM BST
Para Equestrian
Great Britain’s Mari Durward-Akhurst is up next in the Grade I individual event on her horse Athene Lindebjerg. She is the 17th competitor, with five more after her. Durward-Akhurst is the world number one but on her paralympics debut. How will those nerves be right about now? USA’s Roxanne Trunnell currently leads on 78.000.
Also the eight highest ranked athletes from the Individual Event will progress to the Individual Freestyle Event.
03:14 PM BST
Wheelchair tennis
Great Britain’s formidable duo of Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid are waiting to get on at Court Suzanne-Lenglen, where they will take on the Dutch duo of Ruben Spaargaren and Maarten ter Hofte in the quarter-finals. They will have to wait until the quad singles semi-final match on the same court is completed before they get on.
03:11 PM BST
Defeat for Coutya
Dimitri Coutya has suffered the same fate as Gemma Collis as he loses his quarter-final contest 15-13 against Adrian Castro and so will have to go into the repechage round two against the USA’s Noah Hanssen later.
03:06 PM BST
Wheelchair fencing
Great Britain’s Dimitri Coutya is currently in action in the men’s sabre category B quarter-finals against Poland’s Adrian Castro and it is all square at 10-10 in the second period.
Piers Gilliver is going to take on Italy’s Matteo Dei Rossi later in the quarter-finals of the men’s sabre category A.
02:44 PM BST
Collis loses
Disappointment for Great Britain’s Gemma Collis over at the Grand Palais in the wheelchair fencing women’s sabre category A table of 16 as she has lost to Ukrainian Nataliia Morkvych 15-7. It is not the end of the road though for Collis as she will now go into the repechage round one where she will take on Brazil’s Carminha Oliveira, which gets under way shortly.
02:36 PM BST
Para Equestrian
Great Britain’s Mari Durward-Akhurst is in action on debut in the Grade I individual event on her horse Athene Lindebjerg. GB have already won two medals in the equestrian at the Château de Versailles.
02:28 PM BST
GB duo to follow tense matchup in quad category
As we await a quarter-final featuring GB men’s wheelchair tennis duo Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid on Court Suzanne-Lenglen over at Roland Garros, we’ve been treated to a tense contest between Sam Schroder of the Netherlands and Israel’s Guy Sasson.
There has been nothing to separate world No1 Schroder from his No3 ranked opponent so far in this quad singles semi-final. It’s all even at 6-6 in the first set and heading to a tie-breaker.
The quad is the third wheelchair tennis category, alongside the mens and womens, and is for athletes with substantial loss of function in at least one upper limb. Schroder opts, like many other quad players, to strap his racket to his left hand.
01:52 PM BST
Wheelchair Fencing: Coutya strikes true
In opulent surroundings at Grand Palais earlier, Great Britain’s Dimitri Coutya overcame Anton Datsko of Ukraine 15-2 in the men’s Sabre category B.
Gemma Collis is competing shortly in a bout against another Ukrainian, Yevheniia Breus, in the women’s Sabre. There will be rolling fencing bouts all afternoon until we whittle the competitors down to the medal contests from 7pm this evening.
Hopefully we will see both GB athletes on more than one occasion as the day progresses.
01:34 PM BST
‘We like Lee but he’s not here’
Georgia Wilson on her horse Sakura, like Natasha Baker earlier, took the bronze medal in the Individual event Grade II. Interestingly in the Mixed Zone, she referred to Sir Lee Pearson, the winner of 14 gold medals and a knight of the realm, who has been suspended by British Equestrian, pending an investigation, having also removed himself from selection from the Games. This was the event Pearson won gold in at the Tokyo Games, and Rio, and Beijing... and Athens.
Back to back bronze at Versailles today. “I love Versailles...I knew coming in that it was going to be hard work to get a medal, the sport has grown, the horse power has grown...we like Lee but he’s not here....”
12:48 PM BST
GB’s Stacey into table tennis quarters
Joshua Stacey has cruised through his MS9 round of 16 match in the table tennis men’s singles against Lev Kats of Ukraine.
He wins three games to one and progresses to tomorrow’s quarter-final.
12:37 PM BST
De Groot in action at Roland Garros
Over on the famous red clay at Roland Garros, the undisputed queen of women’s wheelchair tennis, 42-time major champion and world No1 Diede De Groot, is into a tough second set against China’s Guo Luoyao in her quarter-final.
The Dutch defending champion has her sights set on more Paralympic gold medals after taking a clean sweep of both the singles and doubles top honours at the Tokyo Games — she’ll have to overcome a stern test from Guo first however.
She initially struggles to exert her usual dominance in the second set, but eventually breaks Guo and it’s plain-sailing from there on out. De Groot takes the second set 6-3 and heads on into the semi-finals.
12:16 PM BST
Back-to-back equestrian bronzes for GB
Georgia Wilson is the next British rider to head out at Versailles. 76.931% is the score to beat thanks to some very high-quality work by Fiona Howard of the USA and her horse Diamond Dunes.
Wilson produces a very neat routine on her horse Sakura, which scores a strong 73.414%. It’s initially enough to slot in behind Howard in the silver medal spot, but another near-spotless run from Katrine Kristensen of Denmark earns a marginally higher 73.966%.
So just like Natasha Baker managed earlier this morning, it’ll be a bronze medal for Wilson. Back-to-back medals for GB riders at Versailles. She will be back with Sakura on Saturday for the freestyle event, and is very happy to announce that the routine will feature music by Ellie Goulding.
11:54 AM BST
Bronze-medallist Baker weighs in on state of equestrian sport
Natasha Baker finished with a bronze in the Test event with horse Lottie. Baker was asked about whipping horses and whether it damaged the reputation of equestrian sport, obviously in the wake of decorated female Olympian Charlotte Dujardin withdrawing from the Paris Olympics...
“It’s clear to show here and in the Olympics we saw such amazing bonds, such trust,” said Baker after her event. “We love our horses so, so, so much. Especially in para dressage, we are trusting our horses with our entire life. I am pretty useless physically and so I am putting all of my trust into Lottie and she, I think, loves me as much as I love her, and I think that’s really on display. I’d love to invite anybody to my yard and at any time. I think these horses are treated like kings and queens that they deserve to be. Just because one situation has happened doesn’t mean we’re all doing the same.”
Was she shocked by it, had she encountered it before? “It’s not something I’d like to talk about,” responded Baker.
11:42 AM BST
Kinghorn fights to take silver
World record holder Catherine Debrunner immediately stamps her authority on the race and assumes the lead as we head into the final lap. But Sammi Kinghorn is right on her shoulder, can she push the Swiss favourite?
There is a brief moment of chaos as Debrunner’s compatriot Manuela Schar and Zhou Zhaoqian of China get tangled up and both end up sprawled across the track. But as the focus returns to the race it is abundantly clear will be taking the gold medal. Debrunner hits the afterburners and puts a good stretch of purple track between herself and Kinghorn. She crosses the line with a new Paralympic record to add to her world record.
Which means it’s a hard-earned silver for Kinghorn. She put pressure on Debrunner right up to the home stretch.
11:30 AM BST
GB trio go for gold in a stacked T54 1500m final
Now then. What a prospect this race is. From top to bottom, the lineup for this race is popping with big name competitors.
Let’s see what Samantha Kinghorn, Melanie Woods and Eden Rainbow-Cooper can do.
11:27 AM BST
World records crumbling left, right and centre
World records are being smashed all over the place at the Stade de France. Australia’s James Turner achieves the feat in the men’s 400m T36 final not long after NPA runner Aleksandr Kostin engineered a new record in the men’s 1500m T13 final.
11:03 AM BST
British one-two in final swimming qualifier
It is a ParalympicsGB one-two in the last heat of the morning session at La Defense Arena. One second separates Faye Rogers and Callie-Ann Warrington, who are the fastest two qualifiers in the women’s S10 100m Butterfly.
That wraps this morning’s action in the pool. There will be 15 gold medals up for grabs when we return later on.
For now, attention turns to a still slightly sodden Stade de France, where a trio of GB athletes will shortly race for gold in the T54 women’s 1500m final. It’s a line up crammed with talent, including world record holder Catherine Debrunner and Paralympic record holder Susannah Scaroni.
10:54 AM BST
GB’s all-female equestrian team vying for more medals
Scenic venue for Para Equestrian here at Versailles -- long trek out from central Paris in the rain...
The all female team - three riders/ three horses - from @ParalympicsGB already with success @NBakerParaRider getting a bronze in the Test event. pic.twitter.com/OfvN8G7BL0— Gareth A Davies (@GarethADaviesDT) September 3, 2024
10:43 AM BST
More GB qualifiers in the pool
A flurry of successful heats for GB swimmers over at La Defense Arena. Ellie Challis follows her first Paralympic gold from yesterday by qualifying second fastest for the S3 100m freestyle. Another strong swim for her gets the job done.
Next up, twins Scarlett and Eliza Humphrey make it through their SM11 200m Individual Medley heat 5th and 7th fastest respectively.
They’ll all be back and swimming for gold this evening when the medal races get started at 4.30pm.
10:28 AM BST
Back in the saddle, back in the medals
Back in the saddle, and back in the medals 🥉
An emotional moment for @NBakerParaRider in Paris 🥹
#C4Paralympics | #ParalympicGames | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/Ypw7i6yg10— C4 Paralympics (@C4Paralympics) September 3, 2024
10:22 AM BST
Bronze for Baker
The mist has just lifted slightly over at the Chateau de Versailles. A grey and drizzly start is showing some early signs of clearing. Natasha Baker, who was out first in the gloom, has had to wait all morning to see if her opening round score of 73.167% is good enough for the podium.
Excellent runs from Rebecca Hart of the USA, who scored 77.900%, and Rixt van der Horst of the Netherlands, who scored 76.433%, were good enough to land the riders in the gold and silver medal spots respectively.
That means it’s another Paralympic medal for six-time champion Baker, who will collect the bronze for a fine morning’s work with horse Dawn Chorus in the Grade III individual para-equestrian.
GB’s Georgia Wilson and her horse Sakura are up next in the grade II event.
10:05 AM BST
Medals and records start to flow at Stade de France
We’ve already had the first gold medals of the morning out on the bright purple track at the Stade de France. There’s been a new world-record as well.
Brazil’s Yeltsin Jacques successfully retained his title, breaking his own world-record at the same time, as he stormed to victory in the men’s 1500m T11 final. It was a peerless performance from the champion and his guide Ademils dos Anjos Santos, they got ahead of the pack around the half-way mark and the gap only grew from that point.
09:52 AM BST
Kearney lands another shot at gold
It wasn’t meant to be for Grace Harvey this morning, but her GB team-mate and fellow gold-medallist at these Games, Tully Kearney, has just qualified for another final. This time in the S5 Women’s 50m backstroke.
She comes through her heat in 3rd with a time of 43.89 seconds. That’s 4.41 seconds behind fastest qualifier Lu Dong of China. Job done. Kearney goes for gold at 5.33pm.
09:35 AM BST
Harvey misses out on another final
Grace Harvey, who won gold in the 100m breaststroke SB5 earlier in the Games, has just missed out on making another final, this time in the S6 50m butterfly.
The GB swimmer finished 4th in her heat with a time of 40.23 seconds — not enough to progress on this occasion. It has not dampened Harvey’s spirits. She knows it is not her strongest discipline.
09:24 AM BST
The intricacies of para-equestrian
GB’s Natasha Baker’s opening run is looking good enough to qualify for now as the rest of the field work through their routines. She’s sitting second just behind Rixt van der Horst of the Netherlands.
For the uninitiated, it may not be obvious how the ground jury score each run. Para-equestrian is the only artistic discipline at the games, and the art is in the ability to communicate movements to the horse with subtle shifts in weight and use of the voice.
Athletes form a very close working relationship with their horses to execute routines well and gain top scores for quality, accuracy and artistic expression.
The five grades reflect the varying impairments of the athletes. Generally, as the grades go up from I to V, the horses will move faster and there may be a bigger dressage area to work in.
08:53 AM BST
Peacock and Weir go without medals as ParalympicsGB ‘in transition’
Amongst the ever-growing list of ParalympicsGB triumphs, stars Jonnie Peacock and David Weir went without medals yesterday, as team chiefs admitted that certain sports, including athletics, are going through “a transition period”.
At the Stade de France on Monday night, Peacock, 31, who won gold in the men’s T64 100m race in London and Rio, and bronze in Tokyo, finished in fifth place after losing momentum in the final 40 metres.
Costa Rica’s Sherman Isidro Guity Guity raced to gold and secured a new Paralympic record of 10.65 seconds, Italy’s Maxcel Amo Manu finished in second place, while Germany’s Felix Streng clinched bronze.
Weir, competing in the men’s T54 1500m which he won in Beijing and London, failed to qualify for the final on Monday night. He finished in sixth place, alongside GB team-mate Daniel Sidbury in seventh.
Our man in Paris Gareth A Davies has the full story on GB’s Paralympic ‘transition’ here.
08:30 AM BST
Natasha Baker in action
We’re underway at the Chateau de Versailles. Six-time Paralympic champion Natasha Baker is already out on her horse Dawn Chorus.
It’s a return to action for the GB athlete following the birth of her son Joshua in April last year. And as indicated by the huge grin on her face, it’s a solid start to her fourth Paralympic Games.
A score of 73.167% gives her an early lead and something to build on as things develop on a damp and misty morning at the showground.
08:19 AM BST
Tearful Petrillo fails to make final
Transgender sprinter Valentina Petrillo dissolved in tears after failing to make a first Paralympic final in the visually-impaired T12 category of the women’s 400 metres, amid a simmering row over the 51-year-old’s inclusion.
The Italian was condemned by author JK Rowling as an “out-and-proud cheat” for participating in a women’s event on the grandest global stage despite having raced until the age of 45 as a man.
Oliver Brown has the full story from Paris here.
08:11 AM BST
A look at the medal table
Before things kick off for day six, here’s a look at how things stand.
Another bountiful day leaves Great Britain sitting behind only China in the Paralympic medal table — with 29 golds, 15 silvers and 10 bronzes.
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08:03 AM BST
What to watch this morning
There are 50 gold medals up for grabs on day six. The lion’s share will be split between action at the pool and on the athletics track, but first on the agenda is a return to the Chateau de Versailles, where ParalympicsGB will be hoping for more happy hunting in the para-equestrian events.
We begin with the grand prix tests. Six-time gold medallist Natasha Baker is up first in Grade III at 8am, then Georgia Wilson in the Grade II at 10.45am, with debutant Mari Durward-Akhurst going in the Grade I at 12.45pm.
All eyes will be on the Stade de France’s purple track at 11.20am, where three ParalympicsGB athletes — Samantha Kinghorn, Melanie Woods and Eden Rainbow-Cooper — will vie for gold in a hotly contested women’s 1500m T54 final that also features Swiss favourites Manuela Schar and Catherine Debrunner.
07:44 AM BST
Good Morning
Welcome to today’s live coverage of day six of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
After a record-breaking 12 golds on Sunday, Monday saw more success for GB athletes, with six more gold medals added to the haul.
The 27th was particularly special. Ellie Challis, a quadruple amputee with no hands or feet who was inspired to swim by a dolphin with a prosthetic tail, raced to her first Paralympic triumph last night in the women’s S3 50m backstroke.
Challis is back in action again this evening in the S3 100m freestyle at 6.30pm, along with Tully Kearney (at 5.33pm), who will be hoping to add to her gold medal from the first day of the Games.
There was also joy for GB in the boccia, where Stephen McGuire defeated Colombian Edilson Chica Chica 8-5, in a sublime display in the gold medal match of the men’s individual BC4.
In the Mixed Team Compound Archery, Jodie Grinham — who is seven months pregnant — and Nathan MacQueen, took the gold with a 155-151 victory over Iran that included two tens from the final two arrows.
Elsewhere, transgender sprinter Valentina Petrillo failed to make a first Paralympic final amid a continuing row over the 51-year-old competing in multiple women’s events.
