26 August 2021
Today in Tokyo - Day 3
ParalympicsGB enjoyed another fruitful day in Tokyo, with a feast of medals across a variety of sports consolidating second place in the overall medal table.
Golden gongs came the way of swimming duo Reece Dunn and Hannah Russell, and Kadeena Cox in cycling, while there was a swathe of further success in the pool and the velodrome, as well as in equestrian, wheelchair fencing, athletics and powerlifting.
If you missed any of the action, here’s what happened today in Tokyo.
Dunn upgrades to gold as one of five British swimming medals
There was no hiding Reece Dunn’s disappointment at only winning silver in the 100m butterfly at Tokyo 2020. But that just made it all the sweeter when he claimed 200m freestyle gold to be crowned Paralympic champion for the first time.
The 25-year-old got the better of Brazil’s Gabriel Bandeira, who had beaten him in the fly, in the S14 classification, setting a new world record in the process as he won in a time of 1:52.40.
Reece Dunn claimed 200m freestyle S14 gold to be crowned Paralympic champion for the first time
Dunn’s success came shortly after Hannah Russell had defended her 100m backstroke S12 title with a brilliant performance.
Elsewhere Stephen Clegg joined sister Libby and brother James as a Paralympic medallist as he won bronze in the men’s 100m backstroke S12, while there were two more medals in the women’s 200m freestyle S14 as Bethany Firth won silver and Jessica-Jane Applegate took bronze.
Sensational Cox blazes her way to gold in velodrome
Kadeena Cox stormed to a sensational world record to successfully defend her C4-5 500m time trial gold, as ParalympicsGB continued to count the medals at the Izu Velodrome.
The 30-year-old stopped the clock in 34.812 seconds to give her a factored time of 34.433 and triumph by more than a second from Canada’s Kate O’Brien, as she registered GB’s ninth track cycling medal in just three days.
Kadeena Cox defended her title from Rio
Cox’s gold came just half an hour after Jaco van Gass won his second medal in two days with bronze in the men’s C1-3 1000m time trial.
Van Gass, who won gold in the individual pursuit on Thursday, set a new world record in the C3 category by clocking 1:05.569.
Baker bags silver to further boost equestrian medal tally
Natasha Baker kept the equestrian medals flowing in Tokyo with ParalympicsGB’s fourth gong in two days, clinching an incredible silver in the dressage grade III individual test on Keystone Dawn Chorus.
The five-time Paralympic champion had seen Sir Lee Pearson romp to a 12th Games gold medal during the opening bout of equestrian action a day earlier, while Sophie Wells and Georgia Wilson also bagged a silver and bronze respectively.
Natasha Baker after winning silver in the dressage grade III individual test
Despite having such tough acts to follow, Baker and ten-year-old mare Keystone Dawn Chorus showcased the sort of composure that had helped elevate the former to two Paralympic titles at London 2012 and a further three in Rio, yielding an impressive score of 76.265 per cent.
Only Denmark’s Tobias Thorning Joergensen could top that mark by 2.706 per cent, sealing a second-place finish and a sixth Games medal for Baker.
Wheelchair fencing success continues with men’s épée team bronze
ParalympicsGB added to their wheelchair fencing success with a men’s épée team bronze in Tokyo, as Piers Gilliver, Dimitri Coutya and Oliver Lam-Watson saw off Ukraine to clinch the last podium place.
The trio’s endeavours began with a convincing 45-29 triumph over Rio 2016 champions France, before further 45-28 and 45-30 wins over Ukraine and Poland respectively safely navigated them out of Pool 2.
Piers Gilliver, Dimitri Coutya and Oliver Lam-Watson saw off Ukraine to clinch wheelchair fencing team bronze
Eventual gold medallists the Russian Paralympic Committee - comprising of individual category A silver medallist Maxim Shaburov, category B gold medallist Alexander Kuzyukov and Artur Yusupov - proved too strong in the semi-final 45-35.
But in a second meeting with Ukrainians Artem Manko, Andrii Demchuk and Oleg Naumenko, the British squad bounced back with a 45-38 victory to notch a third fencing gong at the Games, and a first épée team medal since 1980.
Lyle delivers first ParalympicsGB athletics medal with brilliant bronze
Maria Lyle put a difficult 18 months behind her as she stormed to ParalympicsGB’s first athletics medal of Tokyo 2020.
World champion Lyle won women’s 100m T35 bronze in Rio and repeated that feat with a season’s best on the opening morning of athletics competition in Tokyo.
A season's best time got Maria Lyle on the podium for the second consecutive Paralympic Games
In the evening session, Gemma Prescott finished seventh in the in the women’s club throw F32 with a best effort of 18.28m, and six-time Paralympic champion David Weir finished eighth in his heat of the men’s 5000m T54.
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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE EVENING SESSION
Broome sweeps up powerlifting bronze as Jawad defies Crohn’s
Olivia Broome won bronze and Ali Jawad reached a milestone all of his own on a momentous morning for British powerlifting at the Tokyo International Forum.
The two athletes are at opposite ends of the scale when it comes to experience, with Broome making her Paralympic debut and Jawad defying odds to make his fourth Games.
The 32-year-old Rio silver medallist won a long battle with Crohn’s disease by simply reaching the platform at the Paralympics, where he finished sixth in the men’s -59kg category.
Olivia Broome bagged a brilliant bronze on her Paralympic debut
Broome produced a personal best lift of 107kg when it mattered most, having managed an equal lifetime high of 106kg at the first attempt.
She then watched Ukraine’s Lidiia Soloviova fail to lift 108kg to confirm her place on the medal rostrum.
Guaranteed table tennis success and further progress elsewhere
An emotional Paul Karabardak assured himself a first Paralympic medal at the fourth time of asking, becoming one of four ParalympicsGB athletes to bank themselves at least a table tennis bronze in Tokyo.
The 35-year-old had fallen at the group stage at each of the Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games, but beat Korea’s Park Hong Kyu 13-11, 11-7, 16-18, 11-13, 11-3 in the men’s singles class 6 competition, and set up a semi-final with the USA’s Ian Seidenfeld.
Thomas Matthews (class 1), Jack Hunter-Spivey (class 5) and Rio champion Will Bayley (class 7) are also guaranteed at least a bronze after progressing from their quarter-final ties.
In wheelchair tennis, just one win now separates Andy Lapthorne and Antony Cotterill from a shot at Paralympic gold after they made the perfect start in the quad doubles.
Lapthorne, a three-time Paralympic medallist, joined forces with Cotterill at the Ariake Tennis Park and the pair cruised through their opening match, beating Korean pair Kim Kyu-Seung and Kim Myung Je 6-2, 6-0.
Jack Hunter-Spivey was one of four ParalympicsGB athletes to guarantee themselves at least a table tennis bronze
On the lake, Lauren Rowles and Laurence Whiteley set a Paralympic best time as they got the defence of their mixed double sculls rowing title off to the best possible start.
The experienced pair finished seven seconds clear of Ukraine in Heat 2 to qualify automatically for Sunday’s A final in a time of 8:42:27.
In the PR3 mixed coxed four, the ParalympicsGB boat dominated the field to enter Sunday’s final as the fastest qualifiers, while Benjamin Pritchard finished second in his heat of the PR1 men’s single sculls on his Games debut.
ParalympicsGB’s wheelchair rugby side will head into their semi-final against hosts Japan off the back of a 50-48 defeat to the USA, while both the men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams were beaten.
In archery, Jessica Stretton set a new Paralympic record to finish first in the women’s individual compound open ranking round.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT TABLE TENNIS
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT WHEELCHAIR TENNIS
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT ROWING
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT WHEELCHAIR RUGBY
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE MEN’S WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE WOMEN’S WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT ARCHERY
More fun in store on Super Saturday
Saturday provides the opportunity for a great deal more success for ParalympicsGB, with medal opportunities across the board.
Maisie Summers-Newton will renew her rivalry with idol Ellie Simmonds in the pool – the pair will face off in the heats of the 100m breaststroke SB6 (1:07am BST) with both looking to book their place in the evening’s final (9:07am BST).
Earlier in the day, the triathlon should provide plenty of entertainment with five British athletes in action, including Rio medallists Alison Peasgood and Mel Reid, who won silver and bronze respectively in 2016, they go in the Women’s PTVI (12:31am BST).
There is another Reid in action in the athletics, where Stef Reid will look to add to the silver medals she won in London and Rio when she goes in the final of the long jump T64 (2:42am BST), while elsewhere on the track David Devine is in the final of the 5000m T13 (1:40am BST) and Luke Nuttall is in the final of the 1500m T46 (2:28 BST).
Maisie Summers-Newton will be looking to add to her Paralympic medal tally back in the pool on Saturday
Across in Izu at the Velodrome, all eyes will be on the men’s B 1000m TT (3:08am BST) where world record holder Neil Fachie will be one of the favourites, while compatriot James Ball could be one of his main rivals.
And Neil will not be the only Fachie in action. His wife Lora will get things going on the final day at the Velodrome in the women’s B 3000m pursuit qualifying (2am BST), with Sophie Unwin and Aileen McGlynn also going in that as they aim to reach the gold medal race (3:54am BST).
It is semi-final time in the table tennis, where Paul Karabardak (3am BST), Will Bayley (3:40am BST), Thomas Matthews (5am BST) and Jack Hunter-Spivey (6:20am) all have the chance to reach finals.
And there is a similar objective for the wheelchair rugby team led by Jim Roberts as they take on hosts Japan in the semi-final (6:15am BST).
That is just a taste of those in action, with the likes of Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett entering the fray in the wheelchair tennis, while GB’s women’s wheelchair basketball team face a must-win match against Australia (12:30pm BST).
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