Cycling heartbreak as GB seek gold in the pool on day three

Great Britain’s Para-cyclist Archie Atkinson was heartbroken after suffering a shock fall when just two laps away from a possible gold medal on day three of the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

The 20-year-old broke the world record in the heats of the men’s C4 4,000m individual pursuit and was seconds away from taking the title from the two-time defending champion, Slovakia’s Jozef Metelka, when he crashed out.

Metelka went on to claim his third title, with Atkinson awarded the silver.

Despite that disappointment in the velodrome, GB were on course for a bumper medal haul on Saturday after eight Para-swimmers qualified for this evening’s finals.

Two-time world champion Stephen Clegg could set off a gold rush when he lines up for the final of the men’s S12 100m backstroke at 16:30 BST.

He will then be followed by William Ellard, Poppy Maskill, Louise Fiddes, Olivia Newman-Baronius, Alice Tai, Iona Winnifrith and Scarlett Humphrey.

Victory hopes crushed in velodrome

There were gasps from the crowd at the velodrome when Atkinson suffered his fall in the C4 4,000m individual pursuit final.

Atkinson was about to catch Metelka when he spun off the track at the velodrome.

Coaching staff raced to Atkinson’s side as Metelka went on to win the race. The Slovakian had not been expected to win after Atkinson overturned the world record by five seconds in the heats to win in 4:17.70.

Atkinson’s silver was his first medal in his debut Paralympics. He came fifth in the C4-5 1,000m time trial.

Jaco van Gass also had a Para-cycling gold in his sights for GB after he set a C3 world and Paralympic record in the men’s qualifying heats of the C1-3 1,000m time trial. It would have been his second gold after winning the men’s C3 3,000m individual pursuit.

But the only C3 rider finished fourth as China’s Li Zhangyu (C1) and Liang Weicong (C1) took the gold and silver, with bronze going to France’s Alexandre Leaute (C2).

Blaine Hunt also missed out on a medal in the men’s C5 4,000m individual pursuit as he finished seventh. He claimed a silver on Friday in the men’s 4-5 1,000m time trial.

Team-mate and world silver medallist Frances Brown finished eighth in qualifying for the women’s C1-3 500m time trial and did not progress.

Eight GB Para-swimmers go for gold

Tai, Clegg and 13-year-old Winnifrith featured among eight GB Para-swimmers on target for medals in the finals on day three at La Defense Arena.

Clegg had a great start in the pool by qualifying first in the men’s S12 100m backstroke ahead of Azerbaijan’s Raman Salei and will go for gold at 16:30 BST.

Next up was Ellard who powered to the wall to finish in second in the men’s S14 200m freestyle. The 18-year-old won GB’s first medal in the pool with a silver on Thursday in the men’s S14 100m butterfly and will look to add to that in the final at 16:44 BST.

The S14 200m freestyle is his strongest event, as he has a world silver and European gold and has also equalled the world record.

There could be an all-British podium in the women’s S14 200m freestyle after Maskill, Fiddes and Newman-Baronius qualified as the top three fastest. Leading the way was Maskill after she finished in 2:10.36.

The 19-year-old will be accompanied in the centre lanes by world bronze medallist Fiddes, who was second quickest, and Newman-Baronius, who will be looking to get on the podium after she finished just outside the medals in the women’s 100m butterfly.

Seven-time world champion Tai will be favourite in the final of the women’s S8 100m backstroke . The 25-year-old finished three seconds ahead of the field in the heats and could win her first individual Paralympic gold medal when she races again at 17:05 BST.

Winnifrith, the youngest member of the team, showed age was no barrier in the women’s SM7 200m individual medley. The European gold medallist qualified in seventh place for the final which takes place at 19:10 BST.

Humphrey will compete in her second final in Paris after qualifying sixth for the women’s S11 50m freestyle. She previously came sixth in the women’s S11 400m freestyle.

Hahn in hunt for third 100m track title

GB’s two-time defending champion Sophie Hahn will target a third Para-athletics gold of her career in the women’s T38 100m final after finishing second in her heat. Her 16-year-old team-mate Maddie Down had an outstanding Paralympics debut to finish second in the first heat and also advance.

Great Britain’s Eden Rainbow-Cooper suffered a collision at the start of the women’s T54 5,000m final to end her hopes of a medal.

The race was restarted but Rainbow-Cooper was unable to finish. She will have a second chance at a medal on Monday, when she competes in the women’s T54 1500m.

Switzerland’s Paralympic and world champion Catherine DeBrunner showed off her explosive speed to win gold in the 5,000m and set a Games record in 10:43.62.

American Susannah Scaroni finished in second place, following up her gold at Tokyo 2020, while Australia’s Paralympic and world champion Madison de Rozario won the battle for bronze.

GB’s Luke Nuttall had a season’s best performance in the men’s T46 1500m final to finish in seventh place in 3:57.62.

Best of the rest

In the La Chapelle Arena, British Para-badminton player Dan Bethell beat Ukraine’s Oleksandr Chyrkov 2-0 in the men’s singles SL3 group B stage.

British Para-rowers Samuel Murray and Annabel Caddick won their PR3 mixed double sculls repechage race ahead of Ukraine, India and Mexico, at the Vaires-sur-Marne stadium.

Para-archer Victoria Kingstone finished sixth in the women’s individual W1 ranking round and set a personal best score of 608 at the Invalides arena.

GB’s women wheelchair basketball players had an early lead in their match against Canada but lost the preliminary round group A match 63-54 at the Bercy Arena.

GB also lost to Canada in the boccia. Stephen McGuire went down 4-2 to Iulian Ciobanu in the men’s individual BC4 preliminary round pool C match at the South Paris Arena.

In the majestic setting of the Grand Palais, Para-taekwondo world champion Amy Truesdale beat Morocco’s Rajae Akermach 30-9 in their women’s K44-65kg quarter-final.

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