Track cyclist Caroline Groot wins Paralympic Games' first gold, Chinese athletes take 4 more

PARIS (AP) — Track cyclist Caroline Groot of the Netherlands won the first gold medal of the Paralympic Games and Chinese Paralympians claimed four on the first day of competition Thursday.

Groot won the final of the 500-meter time trial in women’s track cycling for the C4 and C5 classifications. It was the first medal event of the Games that opened with a spectacular ceremony on Wednesday.

Groot went last after watching C4 world record holder Kadeena Cox crash on her attempt. The British cyclist was denied the opportunity of restarting because a mechanical error was not to blame for her fall.

Groot won in 35.390 seconds, a world record in C5. French cyclist Marie Patouillet (C5) took the silver for France's first medal of the Games, and Canada’s Kate O’Brien (C4) took bronze.

C1 to C5 are para cycling classifications for athletes with physical impairments that affect their legs, arms and/or trunk causing issues with functionality who can use a standard bicycle.

C4 is for cyclists with lower limb impairments or issues with lower limb functionality caused by the likes of cerebral palsy, amputations and other lower limb impairments, while C5 is for cyclists with less severe impairments.

China dominates

Chinese athletes followed Groot's feat on the track with Li Zhangyu winning the men’s C1 3000m individual pursuit ahead of compatriot Weicong Liang, and Xiaomei Wang winning the women's C1-3 3000m individual pursuit.

Para swimming yielded two more golds for China with Yuyan Jiang winning the women's 50m freestyle in the S6 classification and Yi Chen winning the S10 race.

In para swimming, the S1-S10 denote physical impairments starting with the most severe limitations at S1 working toward the least severe at S10.

Refugees' first medal

Afghan taekwondo Paralympian Zakia Khudadadi won the refugee team ’s first ever medal at a Paralympics when her opponent, Naoual Laarif of Morocco, withdrew ahead of their bronze contest.

Morocco team physiotherapist Marouane Benhadou told The Associated Press that Laarif pulled out because of a hard fall in her previous match. Laarif had a concussion, Benhadou said.

At the coronavirus-delayed Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, Khudadadi became the first Afghan woman to compete in an international sporting event since the Taliban retook control of the country following U.S. and NATO troops’ withdrawal.

Though she’s representing the refugee team in Paris, Khudadadi feels she’s representing Afghan women who have been stripped of their rights under the Taliban.

France’s first gold

Ugo Didier delighted local fans by upsetting the race favorites to win the 400m freestyle para swimming S9 final for France’s first gold medal.

The 22-year-old Didier, who won silver at the Tokyo 2020 Games, was third in the morning heats, but he saved the best for last in Thursday’s final, finishing strongly ahead of as Italy’s Simone Barlaam and Australia’s Brenden Hall, who won silver and bronze, respectively.

Zsofia Konkoly of Hungary won the women’s race.

Kamil Otowski won the men’s 100m backstroke S1 for Poland, while Brazil’s Gabriel Araújo won in the S2 classification of the race for Brazil.

USA off the mark

Para swimmer Elizabeth Marks won the United States’ first medal — silver in the 50m freestyle for S6, the classification for swimmers with short stature, lower trunk and leg impairment, or loss of two limbs.

“It’s an honor,” Marks said. “We have a really strong, beautiful team, and I’m glad that I could represent.”

It was Marks’ second consecutive silver medal in the event, taking her tally to six medals across three Games.

Jiang Yuyan of China won the gold.

Slow swimmers or slow pool?

Concerns about slow times in the shallower pool at La Defense Arena at the Olympics have been cast aside at the Paralympics.

After competing in the 100-meter butterfly for S14, the classification for athletes with intellectual disability, Australian para swimmer Benjamin Hance said he does not think the pool depth makes a difference.

“There’s no such thing as slow pools. Only slow swimmers,” Hance said.

Australian teammate Brenden Hall agreed using a common expletive for foolishness after winning the bronze medal 400 meter freestyle for S9, the classification for athletes with severe weakness in one leg. He added that athletes should be prepared to compete to their highest level, regardless of a pool’s depth.

India’s new shooting star

India’s 17-year-old Sheetal Devi, the youngest competitor in women’s para archery, was second with a personal best mark of 703 in the individual compound ranking rounds and set a new mixed compound world record of 1399 with partner Rakesh Kumar.

Devi was born with a condition called phocomelia, which caused her to be born without arms. She’s just one of four armless archers competing at the Paralympics.

Turkey’s Öznur Cüre Girdi was first in the individual competition with a world record 704.

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AP sports writers Ciarán Fahey and Tom Nouvian contributed to this report, as did Gabriella Etienne and Ana Escamilla, students in the undergraduate certificate program at the Carmical Sports Media Institute at the University of Georgia.

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