Well, that’s it as far as the medals are concerned on day one, so we’re going to wrap things up. A flurry of golds in the evening session, and congratulations to Sarah Storey on winning her 12th Paralympic gold. Lots more to come tomorrow – we’ll be sure to keep you up to date with the action.
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Andrew Mullen finished third in the S5 200m freestyle, but was full of admiration for the Brazilian champion. He told Channel 4: “Daniel Dias is a great champion. I look up to him because he’s done a lot for the sport.
“We had our time in London and I guess this is his time in Rio. I’ve got full respect for him.”
He also had a word about the crowd: “The atmosphere was amazing, it was like swimming in a football stadium. London 2012 was amazing but it really felt like the crowd was on top of us tonight.”
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More joy for China in the pool. After Li Zhang’s gold in the 200m freestyle, Liting Ke has won gold in the women’s 100m S7 backstroke, ahead of compatriot Yi Zhang. New Zealand’s Rebecca Dubber took the bronze.
Disappointment for Fox. He told the BBC: “The last 25 metres slipped me and that’s where he got me. It’s a race. People win and people lose. To come back from injury and get to my third Paralympics is an achievement.”
Bogodaiko’s winning time was 1min 10:55 – just 28 hundredths of a second ahead of Fox. Huge cheers in the crowd for home favourite Italo Pereira and his bronze medal.
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That silver for Fox was a something of a surprise. Fox, the world record holder, won gold in London four years ago, but the Ukrainian Bogodaiko, swimming in lane three, got out quickly and came back really strongly on the second 50m.
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Britain’s Jonathan Fox wins silver in the men’s S7 100m backstroke. Ievgenii Bogodaiko takes the gold, and Italo Pereira of Brazil the bronze.
USA’s Jessica Long won her 18th Paralympic medal earlier in the women’s 400m freestyle, but it wasn’t the color she wanted.
“I wish it went a little differently,” said Long, who finished second behind Australia’s Lakeisha Patterson.
“I think the only hard part about that is adding time in one of my best races. But at the same time, I’ve overcome some really bad shoulder injuries. So I’m really proud that I finished, and even signed up for the race.”
Patterson, who won in 4min 40.33sec, nipped Long’s previous record of 4:40.44.
“Jess is an amazing person and a really great, fierce competitor,” Patterson, 17, said. “She’s achieved so much. To be able to have my idol come up to me and say she’s proud of me – it was really quite bittersweet. And that’s going to stick with me for a long time.”
More swimming medals coming up, in the finals of the S7 100m backstroke – both men’s and women’s.
China’s Zhang Li has won gold in the women’s S5 200m freestyle. Teresa Perales of Spain was second, and Sarah Louise Rung of Norway third.
USA's Rebecca Myers wins gold in women's 100m butterfly!
Myers takes gold in the S13 category. Muslima Odilova of Uzbekistan was second, and her compatriot Fotimakhon Amilova was third.
Thanks Simon – yep, we’ll be here for another hour or so, and plenty of medals up for grabs in that time.
And with that, I’m gone. Tim Hill will take over for the last hour or so of the day. Bye!
Dias wins gold for Brazil! By an absolute mile! He finishes 10.68sec ahead of Perkins, with Andrew Mullen taking bronze!
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Mullen has slipped to third, behind America’s Roy Perkins, but Dias is swimming his own race here.
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The S5 200m is under way, and the crowd are going absolutely wild! And Dias is giving them every reason to! After one length, Dias has a lead of 2.48sec, with Mullen in second.
Well François-Elie’s Paralympic record didn’t last long. In the second heat Guildford’s Georgina Hermitage absolutely flew, smashing that time and equalling her own world record with a time of 13.39sec. The Frenchwoman’s time was 13.69.
Next in the pool is the men’s 200m S5 freestyle final, which features Daniel Dias, the poster boy of these Paralympic games who won four golds in 2008 and six in 2012. Britain’s Andrew Mullen is among those hoping to stop him winning an 11th title.
The heats of the women’s T37 100m are on the track at the moment, and the 2012 champion Mandy François-Elie looked excellent in winning the first of them in a Paralympic record time. The slowest athlete in the heat, Jennifer Osejo of Nicaragua, was nearly five seconds slower.
I don’t know much about Uzbekistan, but I know they like to swim the butterfly there. Having not won a medal in the pool all evening, when the men’s S13 100m fly came around they ended up with silver and bronze – behind Ihar Boki of Belarus – and then the bloked got out of the pool, the women dived in, and they got silver and bronze as well! On both occasions the winner broke the world record.
What this all means is the Uzbekistan, having already bagged a couple of judo golds and another in the men’s F37 discus, are now third in the medal table, just above the USA.
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Castillo fouls, and Grimaldo wins gold for New Zealand! Her final jump was one of those where the athlete leaps up as soon as they hit the sand and starts jumping around, absolutely certain that they’ve nailed it. She leapt 5.62m to break her personal best by fully 21cm.
The women’s T47 long jump is ending in style, with New Zealand’s Anna Grimaldi setting a new personal best to take the lead with the penultimate jump of the competition, overtaking Cuba’s Yunidis Castillo, who now has one chance to re-take gold!
Firth takes gold, and sets another world record! Applegate takes bronze, with Van der Kulk splitting them. Firth just owned that event. Great swim.
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The women’s S14 100m backstroke features a couple of Britons, of which one, Bethany Firth, broke the world record in the heats. She and Jessica-Jane Applegate, who also happens to be the world champion, start side by side in lanes three and four. Holland’s Marlou Van der Kulk was second fastest in qualifying.
The finals just keep on coming in the pool. The S14 100m backstroke has just finished, and South Korea’s Lee In Kook led from first to last to take gold, ahead of Holland’s Marc Evers and Japan’s Takuya Tsugawa.
Sarah Storey, being interviewed on Channel 4, reveals that the gun didn’t fire when she overtook Crystal Lane in her individual pursuit final because it was broken at the time, leaving her momentarily unsure whether she had actually won.
Huang does indeed win gold, with Zhou Hongzhuan completing a China one-two, and Australia’s Angela Ballard taking bronze. Sammy Kinghorn started badly and was out of the race before she really got going.
Huang Lisha, China’s reigning world and Asian champion, who broke the world record in the heats, is heavy favourite here.
A rare track final is about to take place, the women’s T53 100m. Sammy Kinghorn is representing the UK and starting in lane five.
The men’s F37 discus is ongoing, with a big field of very varied ability – Samoa’s Alefosio Laki is currently last despite throwing a new personal best of 33.53m, over 26m behind the current leader, Uzbekistan’s Khusniddin Norbekov, whose best throw of 59.75m is a world record and gives him a lead of over 7.5m.
The men’s F41 shot put final I mentioned earlier is now finished, with Niko Kappel winning Germany’s first gold of the Games, ahead of Poland’s Tyszkowski, with Xia Zhiwei taking bronze for China. Britain’s Kyron Duke was fifth.
Here’s our full report on the early action at the velodrome:
The women’s SB9 100m breaststroke final has just finished in the pool, and Lisa Kruger somewhat surprisingly won it for Holland, beating her compatriot – and the world champion – Chantalle Zijderveld. Finishing between them, and taking the silver medal, was Britain’s Harriet Lee, who smashed her personal best by almost a second.
World champion and local hero Daniel Martins – of Brazil, obviously – wins his men’s T20 400m heat in style, which seems to be very popular with the crowd. Gracelino Tavares Barbosa of Cape Verde pushes him all the way, though, and finished 0.07 back.
The sponsor throws up an interesting contrast between the Nissan Duke:
And the Nissan Juke:
Britain’s Kyron Duke is in action in the men’st shot put F41 final but after three attempts is lying fifth and some way behind the leaders. Poland’s Bartosz Tyszkowski is out in front, with 13.56m, more than 2m ahead of Duke.
It’s gold for Australia! Lakeisha Patterson beats America’s Jessica Long by nearly eight seconds, breaking the world record in the process, and it’s bronze for Stephanie Millward!
Halfway through, Australia’s Lakeisha Patterson is in the lead, a second ahead of Long, with Millward two seconds behind, and those three ahead of the field. Long’s got some catching up to do, and she isn’t doing it at the moment – one length after I started writing this post, the gap is up to 2.14sec.
The women’s 400m S8 final is now underway, with Britain’s Stephanie Millward in lane three. Jessica Long, the fastest in qualifying (by nearly 10 seconds), is in the lead after the first length.
Hynd clambers out of the pool and heads straight to the nearest microphone.
I don’t think there’s a day that I haven’t thought about the 400 in London and how disappointed I was. I wanted to go under 4.20 if I’m honest [he finished in 4:21.89], but a world record – I’ve got to be happy with that. I’ve worked so hard for this, I’m just happy that it all came together at the right time.
Here, to refresh your memory, is our report on the 2012 400m final:
And there’s another gold for Britain, this time in the pool! Oliver Hynd finishes first in the men’s 400m S8 freestyle, 2.50sec ahead of China’s Xu Haijiao, with Wang Yinan, also of China, taking bronze, and in a new world record time!
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It’s another gold for Britain! Steve Bate, with his pilot Adam Duggleby, controlled that race from the off. There were four gold medals up for grabs here tonight, and the British took three of them.
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Back to the velodrome, where Steve Bate is chasing Britain’s third gold of the night, and is on track. Vincent Ter Schure of Holland is trailing in his wake here.
Peacock thrashes the field in his heat, setting a Paralympic Games record – he held it already – of 10.81. Brazil’s entrant, who was the very image of cheerfulness as he was introduced to the stadium, finished last by a distance.
There were more people at the judo than there are at the athletics, or that’s certainly how it seems. The section low down along the home straight is reasonably busy, and the rest is basically empty.
Now to the Olympic Stadium, where Jonnie Peacock is on the track and waiting to go in his 100m heat.
China seal a one-two in the women’s 100m backstroke S6, with Song Lingling and Lu Dong way out ahead, both well ahead of world record time, and the former finishing 0.22sec ahead, with Ukraine’s Oksana Khrul taking bronze.
There’s more action going on at the velodrome, where the men’s B 4000m individual pursuit bronze medal race is nearly over, between Spain and Holland.
Sarah Storey wins yet another gold medal!
And it’s gold for Storey! She only needed 1,250m to do it! That was vicious!
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Sarah Storey has gone out blindingly fast, and after 1km she’s almost caught Lane!
Crystal Lane and Sarah Storey are on their bikes, saddled up and ready to roll.
Ooof! Bosco ended up winning bronze by 0.004 seconds! Hawkowskia was flying towards the end there, and could hardly have come any closer to victory, but it was not to be!
The women’s C5 3,000m individual pursuit bronze final is ongoing, with Samantha Bosco of the USA leading Poland’s Anna Harkowskia just under halfway.
And that judo has finished, with Germany’s Ramona Brussig very emphatically beaten by Sandrine Martinet, who wins France’s first medal of the games.
In the judo, the women’s -52kg gold medal contest doesn’t appear to be much of a contest – France’s Sandrine Martinet is way ahead with 1min 10sec to go.
Time appears to have caught up with Powell, and Morelli very nearly did – the American wins gold in style!
The gold medal race in the C4 individual pursuit pits America’s Shawn Morelli against the 2012 gold-medalist, Australia’s 49-year-old Susan Powell.
Megan Fisher has just won a brilliant bronze for the USA in the women’s c4 3000m individual pursuit, overhauling New Zealand’s Katherine Horan having been three seconds behind with four laps to go. That’s quite the comeback.
Algeria’s Cherine Abdellaoui beats Michele Ferreira of Brazil for bronze in the women’s -52kg judo, is very sportingly cheered by an audience who’d obviously have preferred it to go the other way, and swiftly breaks down in tears. Canada’s Priscilla Gagne is now up against Sevinch Salaeva of Uzbekistan in the second bronze medal contest.
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Megan Giglia wins Britain's first medal – and it's gold!
Giglia needed only 1,875m to catch Jamie Whitmore, and that was as emphatic a victory as you’re likely to see.
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They don’t have to race 3,000m – if one rider catches the other, it’s all over. And it looks like it’ll be over soon.
Giglia has started fast, and is already – after 500m – over 2sec ahead.
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Jamie Whitmore of the USA is up against Giglia in the final, and they’ve just got under way.
In the velodrome, Alyda Norbruis has just won bronze for Holland in the women’s C1-3 3000m individual pursuit, breaking her own Paralympic record in the process, by beating Sini Zeng. Megan Giglia is up next.
A famous name left off my initial list: Johnnie Peacock starts his T43/44 100m campaign, with his heat – the first – scheduled for 5.45pm. He’s in lane two.
There are some impressively packed venues, with Sherzod Namozov of Uzbekistan cheered to the rafters after beating Japan’s Makoto Hirose for gold in the men’s -60kg judo by an absolutely bursting Carioca Arena 3. Then, in their downtime before the women’s -52kg bronze medal match, the in-house DJ plays some Cindy Lauper.
Hello world!
So, the Paralympics. In a medal-strewn next few hours, we’ll see – or not see, depending on what Channel 4, or whoever’s broadcasting where you are, or if you’re watching at all – gongs handed out in the following sports:
- Judo
- Powerlifting
- Track cycling
- Swimming
- Athletics
The most famous name (in the UK) racing for glory tonight is the cyclist Sarah Storey, who competes for her 12th Paralympic gold against her fellow Briton Crystal Lane in the women’s C5 3000m individual pursuit final at around 5.19pm Rio time (Britain’s Steve Bate and Megan Giglia also go for gold in tonight’s various individual pursuit races, the latter being in line to become her country’s first medalist at 4.37pm or so – add four hours if you’re in the UK). Also providing British interest:
- Josef Craig and Oliver Hynd are in the men’s S8 400m freestyle final at 5.44pm
- Stephanie Millward is in the women’s final of the same event, straight afterwards
- Kyron Duke is in the men’s shot put F41 at 5.47pm or thereabouts
- Polly Maton is in the women’s long jump T45/46/47 final at 6.11pm
- Harriet Lee will be in lane 1 for the women’s SB9 100m breaststroke final at 6.12pm
- Jessica-Jane Applegate and Bethany Firth go for glory in the women’s S14 100m backstroke final at 7.11pm
- Andrew Mullen is in the men’s S5 200m freestyle final, at 7.59pm
- Jonathan Fox qualified for the men’s S7 100m backstroke final with the fastest time, and is due to race at 8.32pm
And obviously we’ll keep a beady and considerably more global eye on everything that’s going on everywhere. So, settle down and prepare yourself for a great big bucket o’fun!
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Simon will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s what Sarah Storey had to say on the ever of her Games:
When the finishing line comes into view for Dame Sarah Storey in Thursday afternoon’s C5 individual pursuit, the most likely scenario is that she will be moments away from making history. If Storey successfully defends her title, she will be out on her own as the most decorated British female Paralympian of all time.
It has been a long time coming, a record 24 years in the making. Having equalled Tanni Grey-Thompson’s tally of 11 gold medals in London four years ago, a new landmark is in sight for Storey. Appearing in her seventh Paralympics, she could reach it on the first day of competition in Rio.
However, there is no room for complacency. “I always think people who assume things are a little bit silly because it’s sport and I’m there to be shot at,” said the 38-year-old from Stockport, who made the switch from swimming to cycling at Beijing in 2008. “I’ve been shot at unsuccessfully by a lot of athletes over the last three Paralympic cycles, since I first started in Beijing. Everyone wants to beat me. If you ask the other athletes who they want to beat, they all want to beat me, which is a massive compliment. If I can successfully defend my individual pursuit title again then I’d be absolutely over the moon.
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