The NZ Paralympic Team enjoyed a memorable day inside Stade de France as Danielle Aitchison and Holly Robinson both claimed medals.
Aitchison, NZ Paralympian No 211, sprinted to a silver medal in the women's 100m T36, while Robinson, NZ Paralympian No 183, clinched the women's shot put F46 bronze medal on day seven at the Paris Paralympics on Wednesday (Thursday NZ Time).
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New Zealand stretched their medal tally to seven (four silver and three bronze) at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Aitchison executed another outstanding sprinting performance, clocking 13.43 seconds but had to concede the gold medal to defending champion Yiting Shi of China, who edged a thrilling final in a new Paralympic record time of 13.39.
Following the silver (women’s 200m T36) and bronze (women’s 100m T36) medals Aitchison earned at Tokyo 2020 and the women’s 200m T36 silver in Paris, it takes her total Paralympic Games medal haul to four.
After a false start, the 23-year-old sprinter from Hamilton and her rival Shi quickly took a commanding lead, with Shi slowly pulling away and crossing the line just ahead of Aitchison in recording-breaking time.
“I just wanted to go out there and have fun no matter the outcome. I wasn’t particularly happy with the 200. Out there I loved the challenge with Yiting Shi next to me, pushing each other along. I’m really happy with how the race went,” said Aitchison, who cruised through her first round heat in 13.74.
“It is so special to have my family in the crowd. It is so different from Tokyo. It is so great to have them come over to Paris and celebrate with me and enjoy the experience. I’m really excited to get back into training in a couple of months, I know I can push myself and get that gold medal in LA.”
Earlier, Robinson claimed bronze to add to the gold and silver medals she banked in the women’s Javelin F46 at the Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016 Paralympics, respectively.
Following the reintroduction of the women’s Shot F46 into the Paralympic programme for the first time in 16 years, the Kiwi opted three years ago to add shot put to her throwing repertoire.
While Robinson made another Paralympic podium with a best of 11.88m – Noelle Malkamaki of the USA was untouchable twice bettering her world record mark to strike gold with a best of 14.06m.
In the first round, Robinson launched the orb out to around the 12-metre mark but unfortunately lost her balance on release and stepped out of the circle to register a foul.
Robinson responded in round two by popping out a safe legal throw at 11.46m to sit in provisional bronze. There was no change to the medal order in round three, although Hokitika-raised Robinson improved her best throw to 11.72m.
With the field reduced from 15 down to the top-eight at the halfway stage, Robinson added a further 1cm to her best of the day with a throw of 11.73m. Robinson unleashed an 11.59m effort in round five and with a medal already in her pocket by the time she stepped in the circle for round six, the Kiwi fired her best of the day, registering 11.88m.
“I have mixed emotions. I’m super stoked to be on the podium again for what isn’t my preferred event but a little bit disappointed with the distance I threw because I know I am capable of much more.
“I was consistent but probably not as consistent with where I wanted to be. I had a bit of a timing issue but I loved being there with heaps of family and friends watching, that made it special. I am super proud to wear the fern and be at my fourth Paralympics.”
A trio of Kiwi athletes were in para road cycling action, with Nicole Murray, the bronze medallist in the women’s C5 individual pursuit on the track, the pick of them producing a highly commendable effort to place fourth in the women’s C5 individual time trial, clocking a time of 21:46.26.
Taking on the 14.1km distance at Clichy-sous-Bois, the 31-year-old hit the first split at 5.8km – a little under four seconds off provisional bronze – but for the remainder of the route she could not quite climb into the podium picture.
Murray will conclude her schedule at Paris 2024 by competing in the women’s C4-5 road race on Thursday (Friday NZT).
US-based Kiwi Rory Mead matched his performance at Tokyo 2020 by placing fifth in the men’s H2 time trial on Wednesday (Thursday NZT). The 37-year-old hand cyclist went through the 5.8km checkpoint in fourth but slipped back a place in the later stages, registering a time of 29:22.41.
He then returned to compete on day eight in the men’s H1-2 road race, recording his best Paralympics result, finishing fourth after covering the 42.6km distance in 1:40:34, more than 20 minutes behind the winner.
The fourth-placing was one spot better than he achieved 24 hours earlier and one place better than the men's H1 individual time trial and men's H1-2 road race at Tokyo 2020.
Anna Taylor, NZ's first Paralympics medallist in Paris with silver in the women’s C4 3000m individual pursuit on day two, completed her campaign in the French capital by placing seventh in the women’s C4 individual time trial.
There was disappointment for all three New Zealand para swimmers in action at the Paris La Defense on Thursday (Friday NZT) as the trio missed out on a place in their respective finals.
Tupou Neiufi, the Tokyo 2020 women’s backstroke S8 champion, made a good start in heat one of the women's S8 50m freestyle but faded to sixth recording a time of 33.40, finishing as the 10th-fastest across both heats.
Christchurch-based duo Gabriella Smith and Lili-Fox Mason both lined up in the women’s 400m freestyle S10 but found a place in the final beyond them on this occasion.
Mason, 19, attacked the race from the outset and after 100m sat a handy fourth only to slip back to sixth, recording a time of 5:00.42 – a little under two-and-a-half seconds shy of her personal best.
Smith, 18, the youngest member of the NZ Paralympic Team in Paris, finished sixth in heat two, registering a time of 5:02.31. Smith will finish her competitive programme in Paris on Friday (Saturday NZT) in the women’s 200m individual medley SM10.
Paralympic debutant Louise Duncan and her mount Showcase BC can be proud of her efforts as the Levin-based hairdresser placed 13th In the dressage individual grade IV para grand prix test with a total score of 64.945% on Wednesday (Thursday NZT).
Six-time Paralympian Michael Johnson wrapped up his competitive campaign at Paris 2024 by finishing 19th in qualification for the R9 mixed 50m rifle prone SH2 with a total score of 616.8pts on Wednesday (Thursday NZT).
The 50-year-old from Waiuku missed out on a top-eight spot in the final but was nonetheless satisfied with his all round efforts at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre, highlighted by a fifth-place in the R4 mixed 10m air rifle standing SH2.
While Smith was the youngest performer, the oldest member of the NZ Paralympic Team, 62-year-old Greg Reid competed in qualification for the R6 mixed 50m rifle prone SH1 on Thursday (Friday NZT).
The Featherston-based shooting para sport athlete did not have his best competition – placing 36th with a total score of 600.6pts and did not progress to the eight-strong final.
Seven New Zealand athletes will compete across four sports on Day 9 in Paris on Friday (Saturday NZT), including four athletes who will be seeking multiple medals.
Anna Grimaldi, who claimed a stunning women’s 100m T47 bronze medal earlier this week, returns to the Stade de France hunting a hat-trick of Paralympic titles in the women’s long jump T47. Meanwhile, Robinson is back to defend her Paralympic title in her specialist event, the women’s javelin F46.
Also in Para athletics action is men’s 400m T36 silver medallist Will Stedman, who competes in the heats of the men’s 100m T36, targeting a spot in the final.
Para swimmer Cameron Leslie will be chasing a third final in Paris in the men’s 50m freestyle S4, while the day will also see the first appearance of two para canoe paddlers as Scott Martlew competes in the heats of both the men's 200m KL2 and men's 200m VL3, along with Peter Cowan in the latter event.
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