The Guardian

Paris 2024 Paralympics day one: first gold goes to Netherlands after track woe for Cox – live

By Daniel Harris,

5 hours ago

4.55pm BST

Next in the pool: the men’s S1 100m backstroke.

4.52pm BST

I dunno, maybe Patterson reasoned that to be Konkoly she needed to go hard from the gun, but surely she’d have had a better chance giving it 100m to get going then kicking and looking to hang on.

4.52pm BST

Sophia Konkoly of Hungary wins gold in the women's S9 400m freestyle

Lakeisha Patterson of Australia takes silver and Vittoria Binaco of italy bronze.

Updated at 4.57pm BST

4.51pm BST

Patterson leads by 0.3 at 350m but Konkoly is going to catch her!

4.50pm BST

Patterson leads by 2.2. But it’s a proper scrap for bronze – there are five of them challenging – and Konkoly of Hungary is gaining on the leader!

4.48pm BST

Patterson leads by a way at 100m , from Pauli of France from Mecic of Croatia. Already, it feels like the Aussie against the clock.

4.46pm BST

And we’re off, Patterson in front early.

4.45pm BST

Going for GB is Toni Shaw, but the favourite is Lakeisha Patterson of Australia.

4.44pm BST

Next up, the women’s S9 4oom free final.

4.41pm BST

Ugo Didier of France wins gold in the men's S9 400m freestyle

Mayham! And look how much it means to him! Simone Barlaam of Italy takes silver, Brendan Hodge, the Australian flag-bearer bronze, but this is all about the local hero, who swam the perfect race – and don’t the crowd let him know!

Updated at 4.55pm BST

4.40pm BST

Didier closes, the crowd shrieking and febrile! Didier goes past barlaam! He’s timed this perfectly! Can he ignite the Games for the hosts?!

4.39pm BST

Didier goes past Hodge into second but at 300m Barlaam still leads. This is going to be a finish !

Updated at 4.53pm BST

4.38pm BST

At 150m it’s still Barlaam by around 0.7s and at halfway he’s extended that to 1.26; Didier holds third.

4.37pm BST

Barlaam of Italy leads at 100m, Hodge of Australia just behind.

4.37pm BST

And we’re off, the first swimming event of the Games under way.

4.35pm BST

The crowd go wild as Didier the local favourite, comes out, and we’re read to go, the arena jumping.

4.32pm BST

We’re away from the velodrome now and at the pool. Off shortly, it’s the men’s S9 400m freestyle final…

Updated at 4.36pm BST

4.28pm BST

Back in the basketball, USA lead Spain 58-52 with 4.30 left in the fourth.

Updated at 4.30pm BST

4.25pm BST

Bate says the Dutch have been the best bike for the last three years – GB beat them once, on this track, because they crashed. He and Latham worked nine months for that race, went quicker than they expected, and still lost, so no complaints.

4.22pm BST

Bangma is only 26, so there’s no reason to think he won’t be back in LA, going for a fourth gold in a row. Bate and Latham recorded their best-ever time and lost by a distance, which tells us just how good the dutch lads are.

4.19pm BST

Tristan Bangma and Patrick Bos of the Netherlands win gold in the men's B 4000m individual pursuit - again

Steve bate and Chris Latham of GB take silver, Lorenzo Bernard and Davide Plebani of Italy bronze.

Updated at 4.21pm BST

4.18pm BST

The lead is 2.919 at the bell, and the Netherlands are cruising home, leading from gun to tape.

4.17pm BST

Gosh, at 3ooom the Dutch lead is 2.2s and it’s hard to see how Bate and Latham sort this with just four laps to go.

4.16pm BST

Just before halfway, the Dutch lead by 1.365; if GB are going to challenge here they need to step on it, because they’re losing 0.5s or so every lap.

4.15pm BST

Bate won this race in 2016 but the Dutch pair took gold in Tokyo and they lead after two laps; at 750m the gap is 0.7ish.

4.14pm BST

Our pairs approach their bikes, tension amping up. The Dutch were quicker in qualifying, but this is about racing not pursuit, and here we go! Sixteen laps for gold!

4.09pm BST

We’re back in the velodrome preparing for the men’s B individual pursuit final, Bate and Latham going for Paralympics GB. Can they beat Bangma and Bos of the Netherlands to win the team’s first gold?

Updated at 4.19pm BST

4.08pm BST

Back to the men’s wheelchair basketball, USA now lead Spain 42-34 with 2.49 to go in the third.

4.05pm BST

Now under way:

4.01pm BST

China, China, top of the league!

3.55pm BST

Back to Cox, the verdict is that she wobbled but there was no mechanical issue – I guess, in a sense that’s bad news, but the tentative good news is that she’ll probably be available for the team event in three days’ time.

3.51pm BST

Coming up at 4.13: Steve Bate and his pilot, Chris Latham, go in the gold-medal match of the men’s B 4000m pursuit

3.46pm BST

“It’s just incredible,” says Daphne. A year ago, after an injury, she didn’t even think she’d be here, but she broke a world record, is happy with her process, proud of herself and her coach, and knows how lucky she is to be competing.

Asked about Kadeena, she says her mate got her into cycling and they’re really close; she was hoping for a podium picture together, but she’s got her family with her and she’s going “ride the high”. You do just that!

Updated at 4.10pm BST

3.42pm BST

Wang is beside herself with joy, while Schrager looks disappointed but warmly congratulates the champ; she’ll be back.

3.40pm BST

Wang Xiaomei of China takes gold in the women's C1-3 individual pursuit in a world record 3:41.192

That is absrub, three more seconds knocked off a time she set earlier today. Daphne Schrager of GB takes silver, avoiding the catch, with Flurina Rigling of Switzerland claiming bronze.

Updated at 3.52pm BST

3.38pm BST

Gosh, Wang leads by over six second now, and this is over. Schrager will do well to avoid being overtaken here.

3.37pm BST

Wang’s lead is up to 3.9s at 1125m and that’s a lot for Schrager to claw back – but Wang has gone out so quickly so you never know.

3.36pm BST

Wang leads by a couple of seconds early doors, but there’s plenty of time for Schrager to catch her…

3.35pm BST

It’s 12 laps of the track , Schrager taking on Wang Xiaomei of China. Wang was slightly quicker in qualifying, but there’s so little between these two…

3.34pm BST

Daphne is ready…

3.34pm BST

3.33pm BST

In the men’s wheelchair basketball, USA lead Spain 26-25 with 3.25 to go in the second.

Updated at 3.34pm BST

3.30pm BST

Oh and this is lovely, from the British Cycling site:

My first experience on the road was, honestly, dreadful. I fell off five times before I even got out of the car park! But I had people around me, like Steve Cramshaw, a talent academy coach who was there to help. Despite the rough start, I kept coming back, determined to improve. The Covid-19 lockdown ended up being a blessing because it gave me time to improve my skills, like clipping in and out of the pedals—a skill that Kadeena Cox, another incredible para athlete, helped me master.

3.26pm BST

Coming up, though: Daphne Schrager goes in the C1-3 individual pursuit final.

3.26pm BST

We’ve still not seen an interview with Our Kadeena, which I guess tells us how she’s feeling. If someone that gregarious and natural on screen doesn’t want to talk, we can be almost certain she’s going through it.

3.22pm BST

Li Zhangyu of China wins gold in the men's C1 3000m pursuit

Liang Weicong, also of China, takes silver, and Ricardo Ten Argiles of Spain the bronze.

3.18pm BST

I can’t lie, I’m still reeling – Kadeena Cox is a hero, and watching her heartbroken like this is sore – she’s still sat on the floor mourning, and it’s so out of character it’s even harder to watch than otherwise. But sport being sport and life being life, we’re eyes down for another final, the men’s C3 3000m.

3.12pm BST

Turns out the issue was not deemed to be a mechanical one, which is why Cox didn’t go again – though it remains to be seen if she’s also hurt. She is, though, back in the team sprint on Sunday, so let’s hope she’s ready to compete.

Updated at 3.15pm BST

3.10pm BST

That was an insane ride from Groot, a worthy champ. But as we cut from her celebrations to Cox, we see her sat alone, legs crossed, crying her life out. And this is sport, I’m afraid– she’s won four golds over two Games, but her cup is not full because that’s not how these superhumans work. This’ll stick with her for evermore and she knows it, but with time, she’ll be proud of what she’s done; she is immortal and eternal.

3.06pm BST

Caroline Groot of the Netherlands wins gold in the C4-5 500m time trial

Sadly, Kadeena Cox succumbed to what we think was a mechanical issue; Marie Patouillet of France takes silver and Kate O’Brien of Canada bronze.

Updated at 3.12pm BST

3.05pm BST

Goodness us, Groot is absolutely destroying this, inside the fastest time by over a second at halfway.

3.05pm BST

The issue, our comms think, was mechanical, but in the meantime Caroline Groot, fastest in qualifying, takes to the track. I’m not sure Cox will be able to race after her because the advantage of going last thanks to setting the fastest time is part of the competition.

3.03pm BST

Glass half-full: the wobble out of the gate was a big hindrance, and when she goes again, she’ll hopefully manage to avoid one. In interview, she said she sometimes gets a bit shaky as a consequence of her MS and hoped her body could refrain for the duration of the competition; I’m not sure if this was that, but it was something, and as Cox departs the track, she looks tearful, my sense that she’ll not be returning.

3.00pm BST

Kadeena Cox comes off her bike at the first corner!

Cox takes a deep breath and off she goes, a wobbly start putting her under pressure … and she comes off her bike before the first turn. Oh man, that is not good to see, but she’ll get another go I think…

https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3hykyr_0vDxcWg800 — Kadeena Cox crashes! Photograph: Adam Davy/PA

Updated at 3.11pm BST

2.58pm BST

Here comes Kadeena…

2.57pm BST

Oooh, Patouillet is outside the leader at halfway but she’s an endurance rider so you’d expect her to come on strong at the end … and she does! She leads with 36.7 so, with two riders to come, has guaranteed herself a bronze medal at worst.

2.56pm BST

It’s Marie Patouillet , the local favourite, to go next…

2.55pm BST

Next to go, Kate O’Brien of Canada, looking to better Li’s time, and she’s almost half a second inside it after the first lap. And she sets a new fastest time of 36.873. One more rider, then it’s Cox…

2.52pm BST

The time trial final is under way, Nicole Murray of NZ setting an opening time of 37.425, but as I type, Li Xiaoui of China betters it with 37.187.

Updated at 2.55pm BST

2.42pm BST

I’ve no idea what’ll happen if she wins, but I’m in bits already.

2.39pm BST

“How did you feel the first time you picked up a gold medal?” asks Joe Wicks, interviewing Cox for Channel 4; “Oh, I cried like a baby,” she replies, before explaining that cycling is a pretty middle-class endeavour and she wants to “change the face” of it. She’s awesome.

Updated at 2.48pm BST

2.36pm BST

Cox’s C4-5 classification is to include people with lower limb impairments or issues with lower limb functionality; Cox, who competed as an able-bodied athlete when she was younger, has MS.

Updated at 2.45pm BST

2.32pm BST

Ah, and we now cross to the velodrome where Cox will contest the first gold medal of the Games. It’s hot outside but it’s roasting in there, because the higher the temperature, the faster the track.

2.31pm BST

It’s been a long schlep for her to get here, as recorded in Tanya Aldred’s piece to which I linked earlier .

The 33-year-old, who ripped up the record book by winning gold in Rio on the athletics track and in the velodrome , tore a calf muscle last winter and then sustained an achilles injury. She recovered to successfully defend her C4 500m time trial title at the Para Cycling Track World Championships in March but picked up another calf tear in training six weeks ago.

2.30pm BST

Back to Kadeena Cox, here’s an older piece giving us an insight into her life.

2.19pm BST

Look who’s at the badminton! He looks about 30 years younger than at the end of the last football season.

2.14pm BST

Yup, USA saw off Canada 51-48 in the wheelchair rugby, but this is just the phoney war. There’s plenty of mileage in this tournament yet.

2.11pm BST

2.01pm BST

Back in the rugby, USA now lead Canada 51-47, with 26.8s to go; this is probably over as a contest, but Canada have sent a message.

1.57pm BST

And here he is, looking good to win a fourth consecutive gold.

1.55pm BST

Email! “ParalympicsGB’s David Smith – resplendent in his red and blue fauxhawk – overcame his opponent D’Oliveira 5-3 in their Boccia BC1 round-robin,” advises Chris Page. “Having raced into a 3-0 lead, D’Oliveira pegged him back to 3-2 before Smith extended his lead. Really tense stuff!!”

Thanks for that, would love to watch it but we’re limited by what’s being shown.

1.53pm BST

Coming up later is the final of the men’s B 4000m individual pursuit. Going for GB are Steve Bate and his pilot, Chris Latham – they face Tristan Bangma and Patrick Bos of Netherlands in the gold-medal match at 4.13pm.

Updated at 4.19pm BST

1.49pm BST

Back to the wheelchair basketball, USA now lead Canada 42-39 with 4.56 left in the fourth. Tahis is shaping up to be a decent finish.

1.45pm BST

I love these so much. The first shot, in particular, is sensational.

1.39pm BST

The women’s wheelchair basketball is over and it’s been a good start for GB, who walloped Spain 69-34. But can they improve on their seventh-placed finish from Tokyo?

1.35pm BST

Talking of world records, this morning Daphne Schrager obliterated her own in in the C3 cycling, but Wang Xiaomei of China beat even that; the pair go head-to-head in the final a couple of hours from now.

1.30pm BST

Cox’s final is up at 2.50pm BST – she qualified for it in second place, but Caroline Groot of the Netherlands, who was fastest, set a new world record in the process.

Updated at 1.30pm BST

1.23pm BST

1.19pm BST

Earlier today, by the way, GB men dealt Germany a right tousing, beating them 76-55 in their first Group A game.

Updated at 1.35pm BST

1.18pm BST

Back to the basketball, GB women are giving Spain a right going-over, up 66-33 in the fourth quarter.

Updated at 1.34pm BST

1.10pm BST

Wheelchair rugby, of course, began life as “Murderball” – a name it shares with a game we played as kids. Two teams, two goals, one ball: get it into the other side’s however you’re able to.

1.06pm BST

Earlier today, GB began their defence of the mixed wheelchair rugby competition, beating Australia – the world no 1 side – 58-55. It’d be no great surprise to see these two meet again for the gold, but USA will have something to say about that.

12.58pm BST

Also going on:

12.55pm BST

In the wheelchair basketball, GB women lead their pool match against Spain 48-25 in the third quarter; in the men’s, USA lead Canada 16-14 in the second.

12.31pm BST

Some morning images from around Paris …

12.00pm BST

Preamble

Morning all and welcome to the Paralympics 2024 – day one!

As you might expect, awaiting us is a ludicrous amount of wondrous sport and we’re under way quickly.

Kadeena Cox, winner of golds in both cycling and athletics at the Rio Games, looks to retain her 500m time trial title – though her build-up has been hampered by injury and illness, while Daphne Schrager goes for gold in the C1-3 individual pursuit.

Then, in the pool we’ve got Tully Kearney seeking to retain her S5 100m freestyle crown with Suzanna Hext also contending; Olivia Newman-Baronius, Poppy Maskill and William Ellard all go in the S14 butterfly; and Spain’s Teresa Perales, who has 27 Paralympic medals, will look to make the S2 100m backstroke final at the age of 48.

Then, this evening, we’ve got the men’s T11 long jump along with Petrucio Ferreira of Brazil, the world’s fastest Paralympic runner, aiming to once again win T47 100m gold. On y va!