Key events
GB’s Mark Swan gets two white lights for 203kg on his first attempt, which propels him into the gold medal position in the men’s up to 65kg final. China’s Yi Zou, the world record holder, is the only competitor yet to lift.
Australia’s Timothy Hodge wins gold in men’s SM9 200m individual medley
The finals keep on coming, with the men’s SM9 200m individual medley. La Defense Arena is almost making as much noise as it did for Leon Marchand during the Olympics, with home hopes Hector Denayer and Ugo Didier both racing for France … the crowd are screaming every time the swimmers raise their heads on the breaststroke leg, but the duo can’t keep up with Australia’s Timothy Hodge, who surges in front to take gold in 2min 13.31sec, 2.67 seconds ahead of Didier in second and 4.03 seconds ahead of Denayer in third. Didier and Denayer are high-fiving each other after their French two-three. And for the second successive race in the pool we’ve got a new Paralympic record.
Back at the pool it’s the women’s SB11 100m breaststroke final. GB’s Scarlett Humphrey is seventh at the turn, after a quick start from China’s Ma Jia … but it’s the neutral athlete Daria Lukianenko who grabs gold with a Paralympic record of 1min 18.31sec after a superb second 50m. Ma is second and Karolina Pelendritou of Cyprus third, with Humphrey sixth.
After that historic moment for Japan at Roland Garros earlier, Alfie Hewett is under way in his men’s tennis semi-final. The Brit, 30 times a grand slam champion but yet to win Paralympic gold, is looking to complete his set of trophies in Paris, just as Novak Djokovic did last month at the Olympics. He’s taking on Spain’s Martin de la Puente and has won the first set comfortably, 6-2.
Dernier jour aux Invalides, site ✨ iconique ✨ des Jeux.
Au nom de tous les archers du monde, merci pour les travaux 🫡
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Last day at Les Invalides, an ✨ iconic ✨ venue for the Games.
On behalf of all the archers in the world, thank you for the memories 👏#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/ZRcqUJqnw8— Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) September 5, 2024
Up next in the powerlifting it’s GB’s European champion Mark Swan, who’s aiming for a podium finish in the men’s up to 65kg final. Growing up in a family of 12, the only place Swan could practice when he was younger was in his dad’s shed. A grander stage awaits him today at La Chapelle Arena.
Iona Winnifrith collects her silver from the SB7 100m breaststroke. She’s emulated her idol Ellie Simmonds by winning a Paralympic medal at just 13 years old, but looks remarkably composed on the podium. And because the gold medal winner Mariia Pavlova is from Russia, we get to hear the Paralympic anthem instead of the Russian one.
Tanya Aldred
Table tennis is the game of the youth club and the hostel, the campsite and the school gym, the park and the prison. It is also played by elite athletes with rubber wrists and quicksilver reflexes, like 14-year-old British schoolgirl Bly Twomey. (Though, it turns out, elite athletes or not, they still have to crawl under the table to pick up errant balls.)
Twomey, the fourth seed, already had a bronze medal, with Fliss Pickard in the WD14 doubles last Thursday, when she walked out for her WS7 singles semi-final against the seventh seed, Turkey’s Kübra Korkut on Thursday.
A curtain of light brown hair hanging round her face, Twomey charged into an early two-set lead, nimble and dynamic. But Korkut found her mojo and took the next three sets on the trot in a 21-minute burst to win 9-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-5.
Twomey would have to settle for another bronze. “It’s an amazing experience,” she said. “It gives me a lot of hope to know I’m the same level as them.”
There was a huge contingent from the Brighton Table Tennis club to support their home players, Twomey and Will Bayley – formerly of Strictly Come Dancing and a silver medallist at Tokyo – who plays in the MS7 semi-finals on Friday. “We love you Bly, we do,” they chanted, bringing a touch of the football stadium to the South Paris Arena.
The director of the club, Tim Holtam, was watching with 35 members and another 100 were due to arrive on Thursday afternoon, many of them children in foster care and children who have never left the country before, able to come because of funding. “It’s an amazing community,” he said. “And we’re trying to put a silver lining on it. We didn’t want her to win because we want to extend the party to LA in four years.”
Twomey first went to the club at Easter 2021, to a multi-sport camp run thanks to the Holiday Activities and Food programme inspired by Marcus Rashford. “She picked up a bat and it was perfect timing as Will was at the club full time after Tokyo. He has guided her and showed her how to play,” said Holtam.
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LA MOISSON EN PARA CYCLISME CONTINUE ! 🥇🥈
Mathieu Bosredon s’offre un doublé doré, tandis que Johan Quaile décroche également deux médailles en argent lors de ces Jeux Paralympiques à domicile ! 🔥”
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THE PARA-CYCLING HARVEST KEEPS ON GOING! 🥇🥈
Mathieu Bosredon wins the gold… pic.twitter.com/AxeMbSOb2E— Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) September 5, 2024
Look what this means to Ukraine’s Nataliya Nikolaychyk. It’s remarkable what Nikolaychyk and her teammates are achieving in Paris given that budgets were slashed when the war started in 2022. Ukraine have a proud Paralympic history, and finished fifth in the medal table in Tokyo, and despite the drop in funding they’re seventh in the standings here. Nikolaychyk’s gold is the 15th the team have won in Paris, with 57 medals won overall.
Canada’s Aurelie Rivard wins gold in S10 400m freestyle
But here comes Rivard, who pulls away from Truwit before the final turn. Truwit is giving chase … but there’s too much for the American to do. Rivard makes is a hat-trick of S10 400m freestyle titles, having won gold in Rio and Tokyo too, with a time of 4min 29.20sec. Truwit has to settle for silver and an American record, while Italy’s Bianka Pap wins bronze. Rogers finishes fifth in a time of 4:41.50.
Back at the swimming, it’s the women’s 400m S10 freestyle final. The American Ali Truwit is expected to be a big challenger, just over a year after she lost her leg below the knee in a shark attack in the Caribbean, and GB’s Faye Rogers is racing in this one too. Truwit leads at the halfway mark, from Canada’s Aurelie Rivard, with Rogers fourth …
Egypt’s Rehab Ahmed wins women’s 55kg powerlifting gold
The great Egyptian Rehab Ahmed has won the women’s up to 55kg powerlifting final with a lift of 121kg. It means the world champion is now the Paralympic champion. GB’s Charlotte McGuinness, who was distraught after judged disqualified her first attempt because of the position of her body, finishes fourth with a lift of 105kg.
That was huge from Winnifrith. It’s easy to draw comparisons with Ellie Simmonds, who was also 13 when she won her first Paralympic medals at Beijing 2008. “It’s really cool,” Winnifrith says in a nonchalant teenagery way. “Of course I really wanted gold but I’m super proud.”
Iona Winnifrith wins silver in SB7 100m breaststroke
Unfortunately there’s no time to reflect on GB’s victory, because at La Defense Arena a stream of swimming finals – 13 no less – is getting under way with the 13-year-old Iona Winnifrith, the youngest member of the GB team, racing in the SB7 100m breaststroke. The teenager has a strong chance of a medal … but is in third in the early stages … Mariia Pavlova leads at the turn and takes the win by breaking her own world record with a time of 1min 26.09sec … with Winnifrith sealing silver in a lifetime best of 1:29.69!
GB reach men’s basketball final
After the tightest of first halves, which GB edged 28-24, they’ve dominated the second half to complete a 71-43 victory over Germany. Up next on Saturday: the USA or Canada, who face off later. It’s GB’s first chance to go for gold since Atlanta 1996, having won bronze at the past two Games.
Four minutes to go, and GB are 65-35 ahead, as Warburton departs with 35 points to his name.
Germany’s Thomas Boehme stops a run of 14 consecutive points for Britain, after the Germans had missed nine successive shots, but GB will take a commanding 48-32 lead into the final 10 minutes … which is soon 61-35. After a slow start to this match, Britain are surely now set for the final, where they’ll face either the USA or Canada on Saturday.
Speaking of powerlifting, the latest session is getting under way at La Chapelle Arena, with two medal hopefuls for ParalympicsGB. Charlotte McGuinness competes in the women’s up to 55kg final, and then it’s Mark Swan in the men’s up to 65kg final. GB have already claimed a medal there today, with Olivia Broome winning bronze in the women’s up to 50kg final earlier.
From powerlifting to judo and the Paris rain – the best images of the day so far …
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Warburton adds another two points to his total for 42-26. Germany have been overwhelmed in this third quarter, scoring only two points, with three minutes left on the clock. GB, remember, are trying to reach their first gold medal match in 28 years.
I don’t want to jinx it … but GB, with so much strength in depth in their team and some top replacements to call on, have been pretty strong in the final two quarters of their matches so far. Warburton, one of the starters, has started the third quarter so confidently too, and Britain pull away for the first time this afternoon, 36-26. Perhaps the German defence is starting to break down. And Warburton strikes again for 40-26.
Ade Adepitan, who’s writing for the Guardian during these Paralympics and was part of the British basketball team that won bronze at Athens 2004, has been giving his thoughts on GB v Germany. “I’m loving it,” he says. “It’s only my second opportunity to come to the Bercy Arena. But my nerves are jangling. This is such a tactical match. Germany’s game plan is to force GB to shoot from outside the area. It’s a really close game and it’s so hard to call.”
QUEEN OKSANA 👑
Le doublé pour l’Américaine, qui au lendemain de sa victoire lors du contre-la-montre, s’impose sur la course en ligne H5 ! 🔥
Rendez-vous samedi pour espérer un triplé avec le relai ✨
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QUEEN OKSANA 👑
Back-to-back wins for the American, who, the day after her… pic.twitter.com/hxk3ZwxVpI— Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) September 5, 2024
Japan’s Yui Kamiji and Manami Tanaka stun Dutch to win women’s wheelchair doubles tennis gold
After nearly three hours played in the women’s wheelchair doubles final, Japan have three match points. The Dutch fend off the first after De Groot finds a wonderful angle for the winner. And they somehow save the second too! But here’s one more chance for Japan to rewrite the history of women’s wheelchair doubles … and the Dutch hit long! Kamiji and Tanaka win 4-6, 7-6 (3), 10-8 in one of the biggest upsets of the Paralympics so far … this is the first time since the women’s doubles entered the Games in 1992 that the champions aren’t from the Netherlands! The golden Dutch run is over.
Manning is finally starting to show what he can do. GB now lead 28-24. But my eyes are elsewhere, wandering over to Roland Garros, where quite some story is brewing in the tennis. Japan’s Yui Kamiji and Manami Tanaka are close to pulling off an almighty upset, coming from a set down in the women’s wheelchair doubles final to force a deciding tie-break against Diede de Groot and Aniek van Koot of the Netherlands. The Japanese lead it 8-5, with 10 points needed for victory. If Kamiji and Tanaka win it’ll be the first time the Netherlands have ever been beaten in this event (it’s been in the Paralympics since 1992).
GB defeated Germany 76-55 in the group stage but the Germans are doing a great job here of marking Lee Manning, who’s scored only two points so far. Gregg Warburton, though, is starting to flow, and GB edge 18-16 ahead. Make that 20-16. But Germany come back at them for 21-20. Four minutes left of the second quarter …
Let’s turn our attentions to the Bercy Arena now, where the rain in Paris hasn’t put people off travelling to the basketball. It’s packed in the stadium, with Britain’s men taking on Germany in the men’s semi-finals. GB are the strong favourites to reach their first final since Atlanta in 1996 after four wins from four so far, including a 76-55 victory over Germany in the group stage … but this isn’t going the same way, with Germany leading 11-10 after the first quarter. Perhaps there’s a hint of complacency from GB having won their previous matches so comfortably; but there’s plenty of time to turn it around.
Iran’s Morteza Mehrzadselakjani, the tallest Paralympian in history and the world’s second tallest man at 8ft 1in, made the news this week after it was revealed he’d been forced to sleep on the floor in Paris because his bed wasn’t long enough. Apparently his sleeping situation has now been resolved and there’s even better news for the sitting volleyball player, because he and his team have defeated Egypt 3-1 to reach the final, where they will face Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Scenes of Chinese celebration at the South Paris Arena, where the women’s goalball team have defeated Brazil 6-0 to take bronze. Goalball is one of two Paralympic sports – along with boccia – that doesn’t have an Olympic equivalent. Designed for blind and visually impaired athletes, it was invented after the second world war to help rehabilitate veterans who’d lost their sight. The aim of the game is to throw a ball (which has bells inside, with the players relying on sound) into the opposing team’s goal. There’s more action later, with Israel taking on Turkey in the women’s final and Ukraine facing Japan in the men’s gold medal match.
Good news from the wheelchair fencing, where Britain’s men have reached the foil team final, overcoming the vociferous home support for France by defeating the home side 45-25 in their semi-final. GB will be back at 8.15pm BST to compete for gold, and it looks as if they’ll be up against China, who currently lead Italy 41-33.
Oksana Masters wins gold in H5 women’s road race
Oksana Masters suddenly decides to show why she’s a Paralympic sensation, making her move on the final climb after a race of attrition, pulling away to win by 11 seconds from China’s Sun Bianbian! Italy’s Ana Maria Vitelaru finishes another two seconds further back, and Germany’s Andrea Eskau drops away and is 20 seconds behind Vitelaru. Masters looks mightily relieved; that was an intense test for the 35-year-old American. Like Valize, she has achieved the double double, winning the road race and time trial in Paris, having done the same in Tokyo. And let’s not forget the 15 other Paralympic medals she previously won in rowing, skiing and biathlon.
And here’s a report on the 14-year-old Twomey’s achievement:
British schoolgirl Bly Twomey is dreaming of gold at Los Angeles 2028 after claiming her second bronze medal of an impressive Paralympics debut in Paris.
The 14-year-old from Brighton was already guaranteed a podium place in the women’s class seven singles ahead of a tense semi-final showdown with world and European champion Kubra Korkut.
Twomey flew out of the blocks against an opponent more than twice her age and looked set to remain on course to become Great Britain’s youngest Paralympic table tennis champion after taking the opening two sets. But experienced 30-year-old Korkut gradually turned the tide before progressing with a 9-11 7-11 11-6 11-5 11-5 victory.
“I’m a bit disappointed that I lost but I’ve played so well,” said Twomey, who was backed by identical twin sister Ellis and a vocal contingent from Brighton Table Tennis Club at South Paris Arena.
“I was very much in the moment, I didn’t think anything about the final, I was just point by point, it was an unlucky loss.
“It’s a lot to win two bronze medals at my first Paralympic Games at the age of 14 – I’m really proud to represent my country and it’s just been an amazing experience.
“It gives me a lot of hope to know that I’m on the same level as them. It gives me a lot of confidence because I think maybe I can get a gold in the future.”
Twomey only took up table tennis three years ago and had already won doubles bronze alongside Fliss Pickard in France. The teenager, who has cerebral palsy, says the sport has changed her life.
“When I first started table tennis, I wasn’t confident at all,” she said. “I couldn’t really go places or into big crowds because I was afraid people might get rid of me because of my disability. But now I’m here everyone has a disability.
“Brighton Table Tennis Club have done a lot for me. They’ve been an amazing part of my experience and without them I couldn’t have achieved any of this.”
Twomey’s travelling fans, who are also supporting 2016 gold medallist Will Bayley in Paris, celebrated every successful point and repeatedly chanted her name.
Sister Ellis said: “I feel really proud of her, she’s come so far in the short time she’s been playing. She’s become a lot more aware and happy of her disability. She used to be quite sad and think of herself as not as good as other people. PA Media
So there have been three medals for GB so far today, all bronzes, for Olivia Broome in the 50kg powerlifting, Anna Nicholson in the F35 shot put and Bly Twomey in the WS7 table tennis. This was the moment Broome claimed bronze:
None of the quartet appear willing to attempt a race-winning move yet. There’s 3km to go …
It’s a fourth Paralympic gold for the imperious Valize, who also won the H5 individual time trial yesterday, along with the road race-time trial double in Tokyo three years ago. Meanwhile the women are gearing up for a sprint finish, with still nothing to choose between Eskau, Masters, Vitelaru and Sun. They’re on their final lap.
Mitch Valize of the Netherlands wins gold in H5 men’s road race
But let’s go straight to the men’s H5 road race, where Mitch Valize of the Netherlands has claimed a commanding gold, finishing 1min 15sec ahead of Loic Vergnaud, the Frenchman, with Pavlo Bal of Ukraine third, after his race-long battle with Luis Costa of Portugal. Gutting for Costa, who misses out on a medal after one hour and 37 minutes of racing by just 13 seconds.
Merci Daniel. Et bonjour le monde! I’ll be here for the next four and a half hours, and coming up in that time we’ve got Britain’s men in wheelchair basketball semi-final action against Germany, 13-year-old swimmer Iona Winnifrith in the SB7 100m breaststroke final and, at the other end of the age scale, 41-year-old discus thrower Dan Greaves going for his seventh medal at his seventh Games in the F64 event. Sammi Kinghorn, after her wonderful gold in the T53 100m yesterday, is back for the 400m, while home hero Timothee Adolphe goes in the T11 100m final.
There’s also powerlifting and fencing, plus goalball and boccia – two sports that are unique to the Paralympics. And let’s not forget the tennis at Roland Garros, where GB’s Alfie Hewett, 30 times a grand slam champion but yet to win a Paralympic gold, bids to reach the final of the men’s wheelchair singles.
Oh man I’d love to bring you the end of this. But luckily for youse, my watch is over, so here’s Katy Murrells to call it home. Ta-ra!
We’ve one lap to go in the women’s race, Eskau in front and leading Masters from Vitelaru from Sun.
Back with the women’s H5 road race, Eskau of Germany leads from Masters of USA from Vitelaru of Italy from Sun of China. I assume Masters will go at some point, but we may just get a sprint finish for the ages.
Valize ploughs on towards gold in the men’s H5 road race, Vergnaud giving it everything to hang on to silver while, in the women’s race, we’re set for a belter of a finish with four racers in with a chance of gold and one destined to depart without a medal.
Apologies, we’ve one more match on Lenglen before Hewett, the bronze-medal match in the quad singles.
After the third lap, Valize leads Vernaud by 43s in the men’s H5 road race, Bal and Costa chasing the latter for a hack at silver in the knowledge that they may also be rucking for the bronze; they’re 2.33s behind. In the women’s event, Masters, the favourite, leads, with Viterlaru, Eskau and Sun close by.
The bronze-medal match in the women’s tennis is over, Wang and Guo of China beating Li and Zhu of China; I think Alfie Hewett is on next for his singles semi against Martin de la Puente of Spain.
Mohamed Elmenyawy of Egypt wnis gold in the men’s up to 50kg powerlifting
Two white lights, celebration, prayer, and what a moment! Qi Yongkai of China takes silver and Mohsen Bakhtiar of Iran the bronze.
And he does it! 200kg raised aloft, so Elmenawy must bang 201 for gold! Here he comes!
“So what’s going on in the powerlifting?” I hear you ask. Well, Aceituno of El Salvador has just raised 196 to restore himself to the bronze medal position, but Bakhtiar of Iran will now go at 197 to inch back in front … and he brings it home! He takes the medal, but Qi Yongkai will now have a go at 200 to try and turn silver into gold.
I don’t think Vergnaud can get at Valize, who has decided now is the time to emphasise his superiority; the Frenchman now has pressure form behind with Bal and Costa chasing him together. Meantime, the women complete the second lap and Masters, leading with the others in her slipstream, is irritated she’s having to do all the work. Such is the price of dominance.