ParalympicsGB claimed an astonishing haul of 12 gold medals in Paris yesterday (Sunday 1 September 2024). Successes in athletics, cycling, rowing and swimming enabled the team to beat their previous record of nine gold medals in a single day, set in Beijing 2008 and matched at Rio 2016.

Blown away!
It’s difficult to find an appropriately scaled superlative for Hannah ‘Hurricane’ Cockcroft, who for the fourth Successive Paralympics, claimed gold in the T38 100m. If consistency is the name of the game, then Cockcroft has found the formula, having lost just one major final since 2012. Although finishing in a time of 16.30 seconds, almost half a second slower than her world record, Cockcroft (32) still believes that a sub-30-second race is within her reach. Fellow British athlete, Kare Adenegan came second.

Redemption for Cox
Nobody enjoys watching an athlete in distress. With Kadeen Cox’s crash in the women’s 500m time trial fresh in mind, the gold medal effort by the mixed sprint team, including Jody Cundy and Jaco van Gass was a healing moment. Cox commented: “It took a lot to get me back out here and I had to climb over a big hurdle to get back onto the start line” Cundy’s medal was his sixth gold in cycling, (since switching from swimming) and his 13th medal overall.

James Ball and pilot Steffan Lloyd, were victorious in the men’s tandem kilo in a time of 58.964 seconds and Sophie Unwin claimed her first Paralympic gold (with pilot Jenny Holl) in the women’s 3,000m individual pursuit.

Unbeatable
ParalympicsGB’s dominance in the mixed cox four continues, with their latest gold medal taking them to an impressive stretch of 14 years unbeaten! Cox, Erin Kennedy steered Ed Fuller, Giedre Rakauskaite, Josh O’Brien and Frankie Allen to victory.

Lauren Rowles became the first rower to win three Paralympic titles after her and debutant, Gregg Stevenson, won a dramatic PR2 mixed double sculls victory but the surprise of the day was perhaps victory by Benjamin Pritchard in the PR1 single sculls who finished 11 seconds clear. Sam Murray and Annie Caddick won silver in the PR3 mixed doubles sculls.

Double ‘double’
Maisie Summers-Newton dominated the SB6 100m breaststroke in a Paralympic record beating time of 1minute 31.30 seconds, to clinch the double-double, having made it back-to-back Paralympic SM6 200m medley titles.

Brock Whiston took SM8 200m medley gold with Alice Tai taking bronze and USA’s four-time defending champion, Jess Long, coming fourth. Whiston commented: “When you’re racing against her, you know you’re racing one of the best Paralympians in the world, so to come away and beat her is pretty special.”

Grace Harvey claimed gold in the SB5 100m breaststroke, after a thrilling race that saw her beat China’s Zhang Li at the touch.