2024 PARIS PARALYMPICS | RECAP
Published Tue 10 Sep 2024
The 2024 Paris Paralympic games will go down in history, after 11 days of inspirational performances flooded the screens of our nation. Australia’s 32-strong para-athletics team will return home from the City of Lights boasting an impressive 11 medals; three gold, two silver and six bronze.
Madison de Rozario (Louise Sauvage) added an eighth piece to her silverware collection, claiming silver in the T54 Marathon event. The Tokyo Marathon gold medallist fought hard until the end, however, couldn’t match the impressive pace set by Swiss sensation Catherine Debrunner who finished the race more than four minutes ahead of the rest to claim her fifth gold medal in Paris. In a tight battle for silver, De Rozario pushed ahead of USA’s Susannah Scaroni after the 35km mark to secure second place and crossing the line in 1:46:13.
The Australian flagbearer opened the games in just as much style she ended them in winning bronze in the T54 5000m final. In a sprint finish, de Rozario worked hard to come from fourth and nudge ahead of the two Swiss racers in the final 100m, securing her first podium finish in Paris after crossing the line in 11:10.20. De Rozario took to the track again in the T54 1500m but fell just short of a podium finish claiming fifth with a time of 3:20.32.
It was raining records in Paris for Kinetic Track Squad sprinter Rhiannon Clarke (UWA Athletics Club, Danny Kevan). Clarke opened her Paralympic campaign in Paris with a new Australian Record of 12.78 (+0.2) in heat two of the T38 100m sprint. Backing it up the next day, the rising star shaved a further 0.06 seconds off her record time to finish fourth in the T38 100m final with 12.72 (+0.8).
Clarke powered around the purple track in 1:01.39 in heat two of the T38 400m, finishing second with another Australian Record and a qualification for the final. With only half a second splitting third to sixth place, the young sprinter finished fifth while claiming her fourth Australian Record of the games in another impressive time of 1:00.81.
Three-time Paralympian Chad Perris (Matthew Beckenham) missed the podium by 0.005 seconds in a race that ripped the hearts of our nation out. The men’s T13 100m final will be a race to remember, with Perris and Japanese sprinter Shuta Kawakami running neck and neck for the entirety of the race. The Australian record holder crossed the line in 10.80 (.799) (-0.1) to finish in fourth, with Kawakami just snatching the bronze medal in 10.80 (.794) (-0.1).
Sarah Edmiston (Paul Edmiston, Perth Track & Field) finished eighth in the world in the Women’s F64 Discus. The two-time world championship medallist threw a season best of 34.33m in her fourth attempt to round out her second Paralympic campaign in Paris.
Australian record holder Jackson Hamilton (Grant Ward, UWA Athletics Club) produced a valiant effort in the Men’s F13 Javelin however retired from the competition early due to injury. Despite injuring his elbow in throw one, Hamilton still managed to launch the javelin 59.20m, landing him in sixth place.
Three-time Paralympian Ella Pardy (Danny Kevan, UWA Athletics Club) gave it her all in heat one of the T38 100m. Pardy produced a season best of 13.15 to finish 12th overall, leaving it all on the track in Stade de France.
You can find all results from the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games HERE.
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By Imogen McDonald
Images by Athletics Australia
Published 10 September 2024
