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After an opening day dominated by swimmers Poppy Maskill and Tully Kearney, Friday looks set to offer a medal chance for the British Paralympic team in Paris.
Swimming, cycling and taekwondo will be among the sports that attract attention, while a busy athletics schedule begins at the Stade de France.
Twomey’s teenage looks the part
Bly Twomey will continue her quest for a second table tennis medal when she takes on Joshua Stacey in the mixed 17s quarter-final.
The 14-year-old from Brighton became Great Britain’s youngest ever Paralympic table tennis medalist by winning doubles bronze alongside Fliss Pickard on Thursday, and she will now be aiming for more success.
“I just took it all in and believed that the crowd was cheering for us,” Twomey said. “If you had told me a year ago that I would go to the Paris Paralympics and get a bronze medal with Fliss, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
Summers-Newton in the spotlight
Swimmer Maisie Summers-Newton hopes to make an immediate impression in the pool at La Defense Arena as she defends the SM6 200m individual medley title she won in Tokyo three years ago.
The two-time Paralympic champion was a breakout star in Tokyo, winning the individual medley and 100m breaststroke golds, and he looks set to replicate those feats in France.
Tully Kearney, who already has one gold medal in Paris, takes part in the S5 100m freestyle, where she will be joined by Suzanna Hext, while twin sisters Scarlett and Eliza Humphrey compete in the S11 400m freestyle and Bruce Dee lines up for the individual SM6 200m. mixed up
Paralympic veteran Jody Cundy will lead a strong British medal challenge in the velodrome.
45-year-old, whose collection of five cycling gold medals came after podium-topping performances in Beijing, Rio and Tokyo, competing in the C4-5 1000m time trial, when the challenge included the prolific medal-winning Spaniard Alfonso Cabello.
Elsewhere, the 3000m individual pursuit could be headlined by British pair Jaco van Gass and Fin Graham, and there are hopes of success for Sophie Unwin and pilot Jenny Holl in the women’s B 1000m time trial.
Beth Munro hits the taekwondo trail
A medalist in Tokyo three years ago, Liverpool athlete Munro will bid for taekwondo gold in the -65kg category.
Munro secured Britain’s first taekwondo medal when she won silver in Japan, and the 30-year-old former netballer is relishing the chance to improve.
Having won the European gold medal in 2023, he looks set to achieve what will be a triumph for himself and the sport in England.
Athletics off and running
A packed athletic program began in northern Paris with 12 gold medals in a row.
And that means a direct look at Brazil’s Petrucio Ferreira, who is the overwhelming favorite to retain the T47 100m crown he took in Tokyo three years ago.
His own world record of 10.29 seconds could come under threat with the Stade de France track expected to be fast, while Brazil also has a strong chance in the T11 5000m through Yeltsin Jacques.
Magnificent Maskill’s world record win
Swimmers Poppy Maskill and Tully Kearney provided the British spotlight on the first day in Paris.
Maskill claimed the gold medal and the world record in the category of 100m butterfly S14, with the 19-year-old clocking one minute and three seconds for the victory, which followed the silver for fellow British teenager William Ellard in the same event for men.
Kearney took gold in the S5 200m freestyle, clocking 2:46.50 and adding to the silver she won at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Cyclist Daphne Schrager secured Britain’s first podium in France by taking silver in the individual C1-3 3000m, while blind rider Stephen Bate and pilot Christopher Latham added another silver for Britain in the velodrome in the individual B 4000m final. .
