Paris 2024: Top medal highlights from Day 1
Italy leads the way in the pool with eight Para swimming medals Para cyclist Groot won the first gold medal of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Khudadadi became the first Refugee Paralympic Team athlete to win a medal at the Paralympics 29 Aug 2024
Gold for Groot
The first gold medal of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games was awarded to Para cyclist Caroline Groot of the Netherlands, who topped the podium in the women’s 500m time trial C4-5.
Finishing second behind Groot was France’s Marie Patouillet, who could feel the support of the home crowd as she raced to silver.
“It was amazing seeing so many people holding pictures of my face in the crowd. When we compete or train here normally there are no people, so to have so many here was magic. It is just incredible to win here. This is a memory I will have for life.”
China had a successful day at the Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines with three medals, including gold in the women's and men's 3000m individual pursuit C1 events for Wang Xiaomei and Li Zhangyu.
"When I took silver (in Tokyo), I felt like I was getting better, but I still hadn't won gold," said Wang. "In the past, perhaps I didn't have enough experience at major competitions. I learned from my races at world events. Today I was able to showcase myself."
Italy leads the way in the pool
Italy got off to a strong start at Paris La Defense Arena, with eight medals on the first day of competition, including two golds.
Carlotta Gilli defended her women's 100m butterfly S13 gold medal from Tokyo, followed by a first place finish from Francesco Bocciardo in the men's 200m freestyle S5 final.
“I am very happy about this competition,” said Gilli. "I always say that to win is difficult, but to repeat the win is more difficult. It’s fantastic, it’s a dream, and to do it with my family and friends who are here is amazing.”
Bocciardo, who is competing in his fourth Paralympics, set a new Paralympic record of 2:25.99.
“I’m very happy to have broken the Paralympic record. I didn’t believe that at my age I would be able to do it. I knew it would be very difficult, and to win this race, I needed to be faster than I have been.
“Carlotta has inspired me. She gave me the power to say I want to win, like she has done before me.”
The host nation claimed their first gold medal of the Paris 2024 Paralympics, with Ugo Didier taking gold in the men’s 400m freestyle S9 final, finishing in front of Simone Barlaam.
“It was a tactical battle. He (silver medallist Barlaam) beat me three years ago, two years ago, one year ago, and today it was my turn," said Didier.
Khudadadi makes history
History was made at the Grand Palais as the Para taekwondo competition got underway, with Zakia Khudadadi, who lives and trains in France, becoming the first Refugee Paralympic Team athlete to win a medal with a bronze in the women’s K44 -47kg event.
“I’m so, so happy today,” said Khudadadi. "For me, this medal is a dream. Today, I am in a dream.”
Peru’s Leonor Angelica Espinoza Carranza became a two-time gold medallist, defending her title from Tokyo by beating Uzbekistan’s Ziyodakhon Isakova 10-4 in the women's K44 -47kg gold medal contest.
“First, it was happiness,” Espinoza Carranza said of her emotions after winning. “It was a feeling of ‘yes, I did it again’. Then, I felt really calm because I knew and realised I had done it. I’m just so happy.”
Young table tennis star takes bronze
Fourteen-year-old Bly Twomey won bronze for Great Britain with women’s doubles partner Felicity Pickard after losing to China’s Huang Wenjuan and Jin Yucheng in the WD14 semifinals.
“It feels amazing, the first Paralympic Games, to get a medal,” said Twomey.
“I didn’t think we would do it. It means a lot. When I first started table tennis, I didn’t think I’d be at the Paris Paralympics. I’m really proud to be here, and with Felic (Pickard), it’s just amazing.”
Paris 2024 marks the first Paralympic Games for Para table tennis athlete Pickard as well.
"It's incredible. We've been on some journey," said Pickard. "I've had a mental battle with myself. I know I've got the strongest mind out there. My biggest opponent is myself. Bly and the staff on the team have been incredible to get me here."
Norway’s Aida Husic Dahlen and Merethe Tveiten took bronze also after losing their semifinal 3-2 to Germany’s Stephanie Grebe and Juliane Wolf.
