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Tokyo 2020 Day 1: Two Sets Of Best Friends Win Gold

Tokyo 2020 Day 1: Two Sets Of Best Friends Win Gold
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The Australian Paralympic Team has made a resounding start to its Tokyo 2020 campaign, winning six gold medals to lead the world after the first day of competition.

Australia began in a rush at Izu Velodrome with emotional victories to room mates Paige Greco and Emily Petricola, who won the Women’s C1-3 3000m Individual Pursuit and Women’s C4 3000m Individual Pursuit, respectively. Both Para-cyclists are competing at their first Paralympic Games.

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The excitement at the cycling track was followed closely by a gold rush at Tokyo Aquatic Centre, where former learn-to-swim teacher William Martin won the first final in the pool, storming home in Paralympic record time to win the Men’s 400m Freestyle (S9).

In the Women’s 400m Freestyle (S9), Lakeisha ‘Lucky’ Patterson held on to win narrowly – exactly five years to the day after she won the same event at the Rio Paralympics.

The ‘bromance’ between Rowan Crothers and Ben Popham went to a new level when Crothers claimed gold in the 50m Freestyle (S10) and Ben Popham took out the 100m Freestyle (S8). Popham was beaming after his win and the celebration by Crothers was typically passionate.

Also at the pool, Australia’s Dolphins won four more medals – Paige Leonhardt won silver in the Women’s 100m Butterfly (S14), Ben Hance took bronze in the Men’s 100m Butterfly, Alexander Tuckfield won bronze in the 400m Freestyle (S9) and an ecstatic Ruby Storm also won bronze in the Women’s 100m Butterfly (S14).

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Elsewhere, there were encouraging performances in Para-table tennis, where Ma Lin, Lina Lei, Qian Yang and Milly Tapper each had first-up group stage wins.

Australia fared less well in the team sports on day one, with the Steelers wheelchair rugby side suffering a shock loss when they were edged by Denmark 54-53 and the Gliders women’s wheelchair basketball team went down to Japan 73-47. In goalball, the Aussie Belles lost 11-1 to Israel.

Among the pick of the action tomorrow, the Rollers men’s basketball team take to the court for the first time, against Iran, Para-equestrian gets underway and there’s plenty more swimming, cycling and table tennis.

Watch the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games live and free on Seven and 7plus from August 24 – September 5.

By: David Sygall, Paralympics Australia
Posted: 26 August 2021