Paris 2024 review: 'Mission accomplished' as China dominate with 21 gold medals

China topped the medal table at the end of the Para athletics programme, thanks in no small part to Wen Xiaoyan who declared it “mission accomplished” after collecting four gold medals in sprints and long jump over the 10 days of action at Stade de France.

Wen’s dominance of the women’s T37 events contributed to China’s total of 21 golds and 59 medals overall from the sport’s 164 events, 11 golds more than USA in second place.

“I’m happy that I’ve accomplished my mission here,” said Wen, who broke three Paralympic records and helped China to a world record in the 4x100m relay team.

Wen’s feat at the stadium was matched only by Swiss wheelchair racer Catherine Debrunner who picked up four golds and a silver from her gruelling track campaign before adding a fifth gold in Sunday morning’s marathon to become the first woman in athletics to claim five titles at a single Paralympic Games.

It was almost a perfect six for the 29-year-old former primary school teacher, whose only defeat came in the 100m T53 where she was beaten by Great Britain’s Samantha Kinghorn.

“I’ve never been so tired in my life,” said Debrunner when it was all over. “I never expected to win five gold medals. I'm the first woman who did this and it's a really big honour. There are a lot of great athletes.”

Few are greater than Omara Durand. The Cuban sprinter brought the curtain down on an illustrious career by claiming triple gold for the third successive Games, taking her overall title count to 11 from five Paralympics.

Durand was full of emotion as she bade farewell to athletics after 26 years, kissing the track at the end of her final victory in the women’s 200m T12.

“My daughter said, ‘Mum, I am asking you to kiss the track in your last race,'” Durand said. “I did it to please her. I am full of emotions and nostalgia. I have made a lot of history in Paralympic sport.”

Wen’s teammate, Jin Hua, was the most successful male athlete. He won two track golds along with a silver from the marathon, where 'Silver Bullet' Marcel Hug of Switzerland triumphed over the cobblestoned roads to Invalides.

Stade de France also saw USA's couple Hunter Woodhall and Tara Davis-Woodhall celebrate again in less than a month. While Hunter was in the stands watching his wife taking long jump gold in the Olympics, it was Tara's turn to be supporting Hunter as he claimed his first-ever Paralympic title in the men's 400m T62.

“Quite a few people have told us that we have made a really special moment in the Games,” Hunter said.

Quote of the Games

“This medal was for my father. My mother has his Greek flag with her here. I felt him with me as I was running today. I could see him at the end. He was telling me, ‘Come, run. Run to me.' And I was running as fast as I could.” 

Women's 100m T38 silver medallist Lida Maria Manthopoulou of Greece on her father, actor Aias Manthopoulos, who died in December 2023.