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Dan Michel etched his name into Australian Paralympic history when he claimed the nation’s first medal in boccia in 25 years in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Michel secured bronze in the Individual BC3 with an emphatic 6-1 win over Scott McCowan of Great Britain.
“I’m heaps excited with it, it’s the first medal for Australia (in boccia) since 1996 and first ever individual medal so it’s a massive achievement,” Michel said.
“From the outset I think I executed the plan really, really well…and I’m happy I carried it out to the standard that I did.”
Kris Bignall and Tu Huyhn are the only other Australians to have won a Paralympic medal in boccia when they won bronze in the mixed pairs C1 at Atlanta 1996.
Elsewhere, Rio 2016 gold medallists Dylan Alcott and Heath Davidson took out silver in the quad wheelchair tennis doubles final after going down to Sam Schroder and Niels Vink from the Netherlands, 6-4, 6-3, in the final. Alcott will play for the singles crown on Thursday.
Para-swimmer Tim Hodge claimed his second medal of the Games when he scored a silver in the Men’s 200m Individual Medley (SM9), while breaststroke specialists Tiffany Thomas Kane, Blake Cochrane and Games debutant Tom Gallagher all collected bronze medals for the Aussies.
Australia’s Para-table tennis stars continued to shine, with our women’s and men’s Class 9-10 teams booking spots in the Paralympic Games final. Ma Lin, Joel Coughlan and Nathan Pellissier beat Nigeria 2-0 to advance to the final and Li Na Lei, Qian Yang and Milly Tapper defeated China to secure their chance to go for gold.
Australia’s women’s goalball team, the Aussie Belles, exited Tokyo 2020 with their heads held high after falling in their first ever Paralympic Games quarter final 10-6 to reigning champions Turkey.
The Rollers’ hopes of redemption after Rio 2016 were dashed at the hands of Japan, 61-55. The disappointed Australians will play Turkey on Saturday in the battle for fifth and sixth.
Six Australians were in action in Para-athletics and, though there were no medals won, two enjoyed season best performances and one, Rosemary Little, his a personal best in the Shot Put (F32).
Para-Shooters Anton Zappelli and Natalie Smith were unable to progress through the qualifying round of the R3 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1 competition. Zappelli finished in 15th place and Smith came 46th.
It was a tough day in road racing for the Australians. Stuart Tripp finished eighth in the 79 kilometre H5 event and Grant Allen came sixth in the six lap H4 race in wet conditions at Fuji International Speedway.
