Friday at Stade de France promises a thrilling day with 14 medal events as Para athletics, the largest sport in the Paralympic Games, gets underway.
The excitement kicks off with a highly anticipated event.
In the women’s discus F55, gold medals have been claimed by different athletes in the last three major championships. China’s Dong Feixia, the reigning Paralympic champion, faces strong competition from Mexico’s Rosa Maria Guerrero Cazares, who recently triumphed at the 2023 World Championships in Paris. Colombia’s Erica Maria Castano Salazar clinched victory at the 2024 Worlds in Kobe, Japan.
In the men’s 5000m T11, Brazil’s Yeltsin Jacques aims to extend his winning streak. Jacques topped the podium at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and set a new world record at Kobe 2024.
Tunisia’s Raoua Tlili is chasing another gold in the women’s shot put F41. The world record holder (10.55m) has previously secured gold in Rio, Tokyo, and Kobe.
In the women’s long jump T11, Uzbekistan’s Asila Mirzayorova is the leading contender. She is the reigning champion from Paris 2023 and Kobe 2024. Notably, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 gold medalist and world record holder Silvania Costa of Brazil did not qualify for Paris.
