Paris 2024: Top medal moments on Day 9

The action is underway on day nine of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games with brilliant medal moments across many Para sports.

 Woodhall sprints to gold

USA's Hunter Woodhall won his first Paralympic gold, finishing ahead of world record holder Johannes Floors of Germany in the men's 400m T62 final. 

“This is like a fever dream. I am so full of emotions right now. It is so incredible. I have been waiting so long, and gone through so much stress and worry about achieving this.

“I honestly didn’t know I had it till I crossed the finish line," said Woodhall. "(Silver medallist) Johannes is such a great competitor. He is a tough challenge."

Woodhall's medal finish comes just weeks after his wife Tara Davis-Woodhall won Olympic gold in women's long jump, also at Stade de France. 

“It was a dream for us to both win gold and now we have," said Davis-Woodhall. "We’ll be wearing these golds for the rest of our lives.”

Earlier in the day, the first Para athletics gold of day nine went to Ecuador's Kiara Rodriguez in the women's long jump T47, with a jump of 6.05.

For India, Kumar Praveen jumped 2.08 to secure the win in the men's high jump T64, his first gold. The hotly contested jump saw USA's Derek Loccident take silver with 2.06 and joint bronze for Uzbekistan's Temurbek Giyazov and Poland's Maciej Lepiato with jumps of 2.03.

"My coach and my family are the keys to my victory. And also the whole country of India. I'm happy with my jumps today. My only secrets are hard work, training and keeping a good diet. That is all," Praveen said.

Storey and Gaugain's photo finish 

Great Britain's Sarah Storey and France's Heidi Gaugain finished the women’s Para cycling road race C4-5 with an intense photo finish. Finishing within seconds of each other, Storey just secured the lead to win gold with Gaugain taking the silver.

"It's amazing. Really amazing. It's not sunk in at all. I'm just delighted that my wheel was in front at the finish," said Storey.

"Today I knew we had a great breakaway, we built up a good lead. Then Heidi Gaugain attacked with a lap and a half to go, which was a great attack. It was then down to the medallists, we were just sorting out the order."

The win allowed Storey to retain her title, having won the road race in her class at every Paralympic Games since London 2012. 

"In London (2012) I won by eight minutes, in Rio (2016) I won by six and in Tokyo (2020) it was about 30 seconds, I think. So it was very close (this time)," she said.

It's also her second gold of Paris 2024 having won the Para cycling road individual time trial C5, and marks the 19th gold of her Paralympic career to date.

World record smash for Malaysian gold in Para powerlifting

Bonnie Bunyau Gustin of Malaysia smashed the elite world record and Paralympic record today in the men's up to 72kg world record to secure gold.

"I'm very happy to be a two-time Paralympic champion and also to break the world record."

"I didn't expect it. I just wanted to make it in the first and second (lift) to win the gold medal," Gustin told OIS.

Malaysia's two gold medals so far at Paris 2024 have both came at La Chapelle Arena, the first being from Para badminton player Liek Hou Cheah.

"I don't know if this is a lucky place, but within our (Paralympic) squad we always support each other for our achievements," said Gustin.

Great Britain's Davies back from injury to take silver medal

Great Britain's Robert Davies missed out on gold, losing 0-3 to Cuba's Yunier Fernandez in the Para table tennis men's singles MS1 final, but was still happy with his silver.

"It's a big deal, to get to that final, I was overjoyed really. It might not show on my face right now, I couldn't perform quite how I wanted to. Like any athlete, you don't want to lose. But two weeks ago I'd have snatched your hand off for a silver medal."

Davies won gold at Rio 2016 but missed the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games due to a shoulder injury.

"Coming back from injury has been really tough. Everything has changed. To make it here, I'm really pleased. It means that bit more to get a silver medal. 

"Those guys I beat in the knockouts, I haven't beaten them for a while," Davies said.

USA tops the podium in Para equestrian team event

While Great Britain is the most decorated nation in terms of all-time Paralympic equestrian medals, they finished off the podium in the Paris 2024 team event, with the United States taking gold.

The performance from American riders Roxanne Trunnell, Fiona Howard and Rebecca Hart included a personal best score of 80.000 for Howard. This is the second gold medal at Paris 2024 for Howard and Hart, and the first gold for Trunnell (who also has silver). 

“I’m so proud of all the horse owners, the grooms, everyone behind the scenes, the support from our federation. They all made that happen. They put so much work into us the last three years, in addition to what we are doing out on the field of play," said Hart.

“I’m so incredibly proud of this entire machine coming into this Games. It’s like a fairytale.”

Silver went to the Netherlands and bronze to Germany.

Judoka Alana Martins Maldonado returns to Paralympic podium

Brazil's most decorated women's Para judoka, Alana Martins Maldonado, took gold in the women's -70kg J2, beating world champion Wang Yue of China in the gold medal match by ippon. 

“It hasn’t sunk in yet. I have dreamed so much about this moment. I have suffered a lot recently, I have been through a lot, so I have dreamed about it in every detail," said Martins Maldonado.

“We get on the podium to receive the medal, but you have no idea of how many people are involved in this. I can only be grateful.”

Marta Arce Payno, one of Spain's Opening Ceremony flagbearers, returned to the Paralympic podium for the first time since London 2012 with women's -57kg J2 bronze.

Kamiji ends Dutch wheelchair tennis gold medal streak

Japan's Yui Kamiji won her first women's singles Paralympic gold with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over favourite Diede de Groot of the Netherlands. 

“I just can’t describe how big this is. Of course, I’m happy. I want to thank my team, my family and friends," said Kamiji. 

"But also Diede, for fighting for me, for showing people how good wheelchair tennis is and how good women’s singles is.”

With this win, Kamiji has not only become the first Japanese player to win both the singles and doubles events in any category at the same Paralympic Games, but has also broken a gold medal streak in the women's singles event that the Netherlands has held since Barcelona 1992.

British duo Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid became the first men's partnership to complete the 'Golden Slam', having won all four Grand Slam titles at least once, and now Paralympic men's doubles gold. 

Saysunee Jana completes the gold medal sweep

Thailand's Saysunee Jana won her third gold medal at Paris 2024, this time winning the women's epee category B gold medal bout 15-7 against China's Kang Su. 

“For Thailand, I’m going to become the queen of fencing.”

Team GB's Dimitri Coutya also won his third medal of the Games, adding men's epee category B gold to his individual foil gold and team foil silver.

Hakan Akkaya won Turkiye's first-ever Paralympic wheelchair fencing medal with bronze in the men's epee category A event.

“I’m so happy. It’s my second Paralympic Games. Last time I didn’t medal, this time I did bronze medal.

“I feel perfect now. Today was so long and so tiring, but I forget now everything.”

Jiang Yuyan swims to sixth gold

Chinese Para swimmer Jiang Yuyan claimed her sixth Paris 2024 gold medal on day nine, this time in the women's 400m freestyle S6. 

Poppy Maskill, Great Britain's most successful swimmer at Paris 2024 so far, clinched another gold medal as well, adding a Paralympic title in the women's 100m backstroke S14 to her two golds and two silvers.

Simone Barlaam ended his individual Paralympic campaign (he could compete in Saturday's mixed 4x100m freestyle relay) on a high note with gold in the men's 100m butterfly S9. 

“It means a lot, because after the 100m backstroke (he finished sixth)  - which was a very bad performance and didn’t give justice to the work I did this year - this medal, with this European record, does give justice to the work I’ve been putting in this year and the results I’ve been achieving.”

It was a close finish in the men's 100m backstroke S10, with Dutch swimmer Olivier van de Voort finishing 0.25 seconds ahead of Italy's Stefano Raimondi to win gold. 

Australia had two gold medals at La Défense Arena on day nine, one from 17-year-old Callum Simpson in the men's 100m freestyle S8, and another from Benjamin Hance in the men's 100m backstroke S14, with Hance celebrating in memory of his late father.

"I was just thanking my father for everything he’s done. He always loved my backstroke, and I am glad I gave him a gold medal tonight.” 

Iran takes men's sitting volleyball gold

Iran's men's sitting volleyball team won the country's eighth Paralympic title with a 3-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the gold medal match at North Paris Arena. 

While Bosnia took the first set, Iran won the next three, with Morteza Mehrzadselakjani as Iran's top point scorer. 

“Our team deserved to win this Paralympic gold medal. It was somewhat hard, but it was one of the most interesting matches,” said Iran’s Meisam Ali Pour.

“The most important thing is that all the players can be considered a big family and good friends.”

In a close bronze medal match, Egypt's men's team won 3-2 over Germany.

Follow for more medal moments through the day.