Paris 2024: Para cycling moves from track to road on Day 7
Sarah Storey and Oksana Masters headline the Para cycling road competition, with four golds up for grabs in Para powerlifting and the first Paris 2024 wheelchair tennis champions to be decided on Day 7 04 Sep 2024
It is day seven of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and what a week it has been. There have been so many great stories told, but with five days remaining, so many more to come too.
Team GB’s greatest ever Paralympian in terms of gold medals won, Sarah Storey, will be competing in the women’s C5 individual time trial, looking for her 18th Paralympic win in all, across Para swimming, Para cycling track and Para cycling road.
There are also the first medals to be won in wheelchair tennis at the iconic Roland Garros, with the quad doubles gold medal match featuring Dutch pair Sam Schroder and Niels Vinkk, seeded first, facing Team GB’s Andy Lapthorne and Gregory Slade, who are seeded second.
Para powerlifting is also set to begin at La Chapelle Arena, with four medals set to be awarded. Home favourite Axel Bourlon will be among those involved
Here’s what is in store.
Storey looking to make history
Sarah Storey has been an utterly dominant Paralympian since she debuted in Para swimming back at Barcelona 1992. She will be going for her 18th and 19th gold medals in two Para cycling road events, beginning with the women’s C5 individual time trial.
This time, though, she’ll have someone special supporting her.
“It's the first time that my little boy will be able to remember the Games,” she said.
“He's now six years old, and I had to leave him for three weeks to do the Games in Tokyo when he was only three.
"When I got back from those Games, he said, ‘Mum, I really want to go to Paris and watch your race’."
Elsewhere, Team USA’s Oksana Masters will be in action in the H4-5 individual time trial, and she is looking forward to the experience of cycling around Paris.
“This is definitely going to be a first experience going through cities and streets. What’s cool about the area where Para cycling is going is there’s such a diverse community there.
“It’s the chance to showcase what you can do on the bike, and the power of a bike in different ways, to be a cyclist, to be an athlete, and to showcase that.”
Several cyclists who medalled in the Paris 2024 track competition at the National Velodrome will also aim to continue their success on the road, including China’s Li Zhangyu and Dutch cyclist Tristan Bangma.
Full Para cycling road programme
Para powerlifting begins
A new sport joins the Paralympic roster on day seven – Para powerlifting. There are four medals available on opening day; the men’s up to 49kg and 54kg finals and the women's up to 41kg and up to 45kg finals.
The hope for home nation France is Axel Bourlon. The 33-year-old will compete in the men’s up to 54kg final, where he’ll hope to improve on his silver medal in Tokyo.
Team GB’s Zoe Newson is returning to the up to 45kg, where she won two bronzes in London and Rio, after finishing fourth in the up to 41 kg in Tokyo.
Full Para powerlifting programme
Gold medals at Roland Garros
Things are heating up in wheelchair tennis at Roland Garros, and there are two medal matches on offer. The gold medal match in the men’s quad doubles will see the top two seeds battle it out as Dutch favourites Sam Schroder and Niels Vink face Team GB’s Andy Lapthorne and Gregory Slade on Court Philippe Chatriera.
The bronze match between South Africa’s Donald Ramphadi and Lucas Sithole and Brazil's Leandro Pena and Ymanitu Silva will also take place.
Full wheelchair tennis programme
Para table tennis final
Australia’s Yang Qian will be going for gold in the Para table tennis women’s singles WS10 final against Poland’s Natalia Partyka.
Yang beat Partyka in the semifinals in Tokyo en route to her gold medal and is confident after her 3-2 win over Brazil’s Bruna Alexandre.
“I think I played really well,” she told the IPC. “After the first set [which she lost] I just told myself to take my time, there was no rush. Bruna played very well. I enjoy the environment here, the people have been great.”
Full Para table tennis programme
More medals to be won in Para athletics
There will be 15 medals on offer on another busy day on the track and field at Stade de France for Para athletics.
There are plenty of names to look out for across the day, including Brazil’s Bartolomeu Da Silva Chaves, who is competing in the men’s 400m T37 final at his first Games. He won the event at the World Championships in Kobe last year.
