Tokyo Paralympics Digest: Brazil claim first golds in track and field

Yeltsin Jacques, of Brazil, started a golden day for his country in the athletics, when he he eased to victory in the men’s 5,000m T11 final.

Jacques, who is visually impaired and runs with a guide, said his win was the culmination of five years of training.

“I have speed, I have energy. I’m naturally fast, it’s genetics,” added Jacques, who will also contest the 1,500m and marathon in the T11 category.

Soon after that, the South American nation added the first field gold as Brazilian Silvania Costa de Oliveira successfully defended the women’s T11 long jump title she won in Rio in 2016.

A total of 45 Paralympic golds are up for grabs on Friday, with a range of sports beginning, including archery, athletics and judo, which is being contested at Tokyo’s Budokan venue.

Gold medals

It’s been another golden day for China, who lead the medal table on day 3 from Great Britain, who have also enjoyed a strong Friday. China were victorious in a number of events, including wins for Xia Zhou (women’s T35 100 meters), Qi Yongkai (men’s 59kg powerlifting), Dong Feixia (women’s discus) Hu Dandan (women’s 50kg powerlifting) and Li Zhangyu (men’s C1-3 1000m time trial). China finished second, behind the USA, in the final Olympic medal table earlier this month.

In the pool, Team GB’s Reece Dunn broke his own world record to win the men’s 200m freestyle S14 while Hannah Russell also claimed gold for Great Britain in the pool, winning the  S12 women’s category of the same event. Kadeena Cox defended her  C4-5 500m time trial title title before she switches her attention to athletics next week.

News from Tokyo

Organizers have announced  that there have so far been 184 Covid cases linked to the Games.

Tokyo 2020 said on Thursday that a “stakeholder involved in the Games” has been hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19.

The individual is not thought to be an athlete and does not have severe symptoms.

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/tokyo-paralympics-digest-brazil-claim-first-golds-in-track-and-field/a-58999337?maca=en-rss-en-sports-1027-xml-atom