Brazil to go for football-5 gold against Iran

Rio 2016 hosts Brazil will play Iran in the gold medal match of the football 5-a-side after they beat China on Thursday (15 September).

Brazil will not get to play their South American rivals Argentina after they lost 2-1 on penalties to Iran.

Brazil beat China 2-1 in their match to advance to the title game, which will be played on Friday (16 September) alongside the bronze medal match between China and Argentina.

There are two more medals on offer for Brazil in the medal matches of the men’s and women’s goalball competition, with the women playing the USA for the bronze alongside the men who will play Sweden. The gold medal games will see China’s women playing Turkey and the US men taking on Lithuania.

Over in athletics, Swiss ‘silver bullet’ Marcel Hug finally got the gold medal he had been craving, winning his first Paralympic title in the men’s 800m T54. Hug has secured four silver and two bronze medals across four Paralympics, but the gold had eluded him – until today.

Dutch sprinter Marlou van Rhijn notched up her second consecutive Paralympic 200m T44 title with a resounding win at Rio’s Olympic stadium.

The 24-year-old world champion and world record holder sped past Germany’s Irmgard Bensusan and French 400m T44 champion Marie-Amelie le Fur as she came off the bend, crossing the line with a new T43 Paralympic record of 26.16.

There were seven more world records in the Olympic Aquatics Stadium, headlined by the USA’s Bradley Snyder in the men’s 100m freestyle S11. Canada’s Benoit Huot also won his 20th career Paralympic medal with bronze in the men’s 400m freestyle S10, likening it to a Hollywood movie.

Australia moved to the top of every fleet in sailing thanks to a thrilling finish in the final race of the day in the one person keelboat (2.4 Norlin OD) courtesy of Matt Bugg.

Bugg sits just one point ahead of Great Britain's defending champion, Helena Lucas, after a photo finish.

Already sitting very pretty at the top of the two person keelboat (SKUD18) with Liesl Tiesch and Daniel Fitzgibbon, the Australian three person keelboat (Sonar) team sailed consistently again to hold on to top spot. A bullet and a third gave Colin Harrison, Russell Boaden and Jonathan Harris another solid day of scoring, leaving them on 16 points to lead the fleet at the end of eight races.

By winning three golds and two bronzes, Great Britain dominated canoe’s first Paralympic competition at the Lagoa Stadium.

Jeanette Chippington took the first gold in the women’s KL1 with a time of 58.760, slightly ahead of Germany’s Edina Muller (58.874). Poland’s Kamila Kubas (1:00.232) collected bronze.

“When I crossed the finish line, I heard Edina screaming and I thought ‘I was ahead of her, but maybe she got me just at the line’ and then I realised I had won the gold and I still cannot believe it,” said Chippington.

The 46-year-old had claimed her last Paralympic gold 20 years ago in Atlanta, USA, when she was still a swimmer.

“I am so proud of myself and put so much hard work into this. It is just brilliant,” she added.

Following superb wins by British riders in the grades II and Ia individual tests at the Olympic equestrian Centre in Deodoro, Great Britain won the overall team Championships.

The team have won every Paralympic team competition since the sport was introduced to the Games in Atlanta 1996 and remain undefeated in European and World Championships too – a total of 18 team titles. A further two golds followed for Great Britain courtesy of Natasha Baker in the grade II individual test and Sophie Christiansen in the grade Ia individual test.

Brazil won a surpise bronze medal behind Christiansen.

Germany’s dual sport athlete Andrea Eskau got a summer Paralympic gold in the women’s road race H5 to add to her collection from Nordic skiing, leading a trio of Germans who win gold in the road cycling. Christiane Reppe and Vico Merklein won the women’s road race H1-4 and men’s road race H4 respectively.

South Africa’s Ernst van Dyke became a double Paralympic champion in the men’s road race H5, ahead of yesterday’s gold medallist Alessandro Zanardi of Italy. The USA’s William Groux won the Paralympic title in the men’s road race H2, as did Italy’s Paolo Cecchetto in the men’s road race H3.

In wheelchair fencing, there was incredible drama in the men’s epee team event as world champions France took the Paralympic title by virtual coin toss.

With the scores tied at 41-41 when the clock ran out, the computer generated coin toss determined that France would be the winners if no point was scored within the minute of added time.

With neither France’s Romain Noble or China’s Jianquan Tian landing a decisive blow in the additional minute, the gold was awarded to France.

The French duo of Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer claimed the men’s wheelchair tennis doubles gold, as Jiske Griffioen continued the Netherlands’ women’s success.

Houdet and Peifer won a fantastic final 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, on a buzzing Centre Court.

Griffioen made sure the women’s singles gold medal was going home with her after she defeated her doubles teammate Aniek van Koot 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

In archery, Iran won their second gold at Rio 2016 after Zahra Nemati claimed the women’s individual recurve open title.

Germany will face the USA in the gold medal game of the women’s wheelchair basketball after a 55-45 win against The Netherlands. Earlier in the day, the USA beat Great Britain 89-78 meaning the London 2012 hosts will play the Dutch for bronze.

Both games will be contested on Friday, alongside the men’s which will see Spain play the USA for the title.

In the boccia, Great Britain’s David Smith advanced to the BC1 final against Portugal’s Antonio Perez. In the BC2, Thailand’s Watcharaphon Vongsa will play teammate Warowut Saengampa for gold. The BC3 contests saw Greece’s Greg Polychronidis book his place in the final. He will face South Korea’s So Yeong Jeong.

Samuel Andrejcik continued his fine form by beating Hyeonseok Seo of Korea 6-0 in the BC4. The Slovakian is a favourite among the boccia fans in Rio and thoroughly deserves his place in the final. He will face Hong Kong’s world No.1 Yuk Wing Leung for gold.

Australia, Canada, USA and Japan all improved their chances of qualifying for the semi-final stages with wins on day two of the wheelchair rugby tournament in front of huge crowds at Carioca Arena 1.

Sitting volleyball edges closer to its climax with the women’s medal clashes decided on Thursday. The USA and Paralympic champions China will play for gold after both winning their games 3-0 against Brazil and Ukraine respectively.

In the table tennis, China and Germany emerged successful at the semi-final stage of the men’s team class 3 event. Thus a repeat of the London 2012 final from four years ago awaits; on that occasion the verdict went in favour of the Asian country.