Brazil’s Petrucio Ferreira dos Santos, dubbed the Usain Bolt of para athletics, took gold in Paralympic record time on Friday, as US “armless archer” Matt Stutzman began his medal campaign.
Sprinter Ferreira dos Santos capped a successful day for his nation by blazing home in 10.53 for a new Paralympic record and gold in the men’s T45 100m.
His win came after Brazilians earlier claimed the first track-and-field medals of the Tokyo Paralympics, with Yeltsin Jacques kicking things off by squeezing out Japan’s Kenya Karasawa to top the podium in the men’s 5,000m T11 final.
Fellow Brazilian Silvania Costa de Oliveira meanwhile took the first gold of the field events, successfully defending the title she won in Rio in the women’s T11 long jump.
Tunisian Raoua Tlili claimed shot put gold for a fourth straight Games, beating her previous world record in the F41 final with a throw of 10.55m.
