Tunisia’s Raoua Tlili continued her Paralympic dominance, securing her fifth consecutive gold medal in shot put at the Paris Games. Tlili’s throw of 10.40 meters in the F41 class marked her third straight victory in this category, adding to her previous golds in the F40 class in Beijing and London. Despite facing younger competitors, the 34-year-old Tlili, who stands at a height of 1.33 meters, showed incredible determination and resilience, drawing cheers from the crowd, particularly the Tunisian and Algerian communities in Paris.
Meanwhile, the United States claimed its first gold medal of the Games with Gia Pergolini’s triumph in the women’s 100-meter backstroke S13. The Atlanta native, a reigning Paralympic champion and world record holder, showcased her signature speed and resilience to finish in a time of 1 minute, 04.93 seconds. Pergolini’s victory highlighted the determination of American athletes to make their mark in Paris.
The first para-athletics gold of the Paralympics was awarded to Brazil’s Julio Cesar Agripino in the men’s 5,000-meter T11 event for visually impaired runners. In a closely contested race, Agripino shattered the world record with a time of 14 minutes, 48.85 seconds, edging out Japan’s Kenya Karasawa by three seconds. This achievement, which surpassed the previous world record held by his fellow Brazilian Yeltsin Jacques, was a testament to Agripino’s exceptional talent and unwavering spirit.
France celebrated its second gold medal of the Games with cyclist Alexandre Léauté’s victory in the men’s C2 3,000-meter individual pursuit. Léauté, a Tokyo gold medalist, triumphed by two seconds over Belgium’s Ewoud Vromant, igniting the home crowd at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome.
The Brazilian men’s goalball team, defending champions, started their title defense with a dominant 13-8 win over the United States in group play. Goalball, a sport specifically designed for the visually impaired, involves three-member teams wearing blackout glasses, navigating a court with the sound of bells inside the ball. Leomon Moreno led Brazil’s victory with six points, highlighting the team’s commitment to excellence and the high level of goalball in Brazil.
