Paris 2024: Para triathletes gear up for glory, wheelchair rugby teams go for gold
The Para triathlon events at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games are set to start on Monday after a brief delay due to poor water quality. All 11 races will take place on day five, with around 120 athletes competing in a challenging course. The triathlon features a 750-meter swim in the River Seine, a 20-kilometer bike ride through famous Parisian streets like the Champs-Élysées, Avenue Montaigne, and Pont des Invalides, and a 5-kilometer run to Quai d’Orsay, finishing back at Pont Alexandre III.
Alexis Hanquinquant, France’s flagbearer, is a strong favorite for gold in the men’s PTS4 event. Having remained undefeated since Tokyo 2020, Hanquinquant is eager to maintain his winning streak in front of a home crowd. “The preparation has gone really well. We have a great French team, and we’re in a good position to win medals,” he said.
Refugee Paralympic Team athlete Ibrahim Al Hussein will also compete in the men’s PTS3 event. This will be Al Hussein’s third Paralympics, following his participation in swimming at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
Wheelchair Rugby Thrills
In wheelchair rugby, Australia will face Great Britain for the bronze medal at Champ-de-Mars Arena. Australia’s Steelers are looking to bounce back from a narrow 52-51 loss to Japan. “It’s hurting really hard right now,” said Australian player Beau Vernon. “We don’t want to go home empty-handed.”
The gold medal match will see Japan take on the USA. “We can’t control the color of the medal, but with our supporters’ help, we’ll make a bigger effort to win gold,” said Ike Yukinobu from the Japanese team.
Para Badminton Finals
The Para badminton finals will also be a highlight on Monday. In the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 gold medal match, Indonesia’s Hikmat Ramdani and Leani Ratri Oktila will compete against Fredy Setiawan and Khalimatus Sadiyah. Oktila, a two-time gold medalist at the 2024 BWF Para Badminton World Championships, is aiming for another victory.
In the women’s singles WH2 category, Chinese athletes Liu Yu Tong and Li Hongyan will compete for gold. Meanwhile, India’s Kumar Nitesh will face Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell in the men’s singles SL3 gold medal match. Bethell, a silver medalist at Tokyo 2020, is focused on winning gold this time. “I’ve come here to get the gold medal,” Bethell said.
Day five promises to be packed with thrilling sports action and inspiring performances.
