Australian Paralympic Team star Curtis McGrath successfully defended his Paralympic kayak crown at Sea Forest Waterway on Saturday, as Australia grabbed a gold and a silver medal in Para-canoe at Tokyo 2020.
Former soldier McGrath’s gold medal was backed up by a silver medal to Susan Seipel in the new Va’a class. Racing continues on Saturday.
Australia’s most successful Para-table tennis campaign ended with silver medals in the men’s and women’s Class 9-10 Teams finals. The men’s team of Ma Lin, Joel Coughlan and Nathan Pellissier went down to China, while the women’s team of Lina Lei, Qian Yang and Melissa Tapper fell to Poland.
At the athletics track, James Turner was the fastest qualifier for the 100m (T36), which will be raced on Saturday morning. Turner won gold in the 400m earlier this week. Rhiannon Clark also qualified for her final on Saturday, in the (100m T36). Guy Henly (discus throw F37) and Sam McIntosh (100m F52), each finished fourth.
Grant Manzoney and Caitlin Dransfield were each grateful for the experience of becoming Australia’s first Para-badminton competitors, after were unable to progress in the tournament.
In Para-archery, Taymon Kenton-Smith was narrowly defeated in the Elimination Round of the Open Men’s Individual Recurve W2. Kenton-Smith will team with Imalia Oktrininda in the Open Mixed Team Recurve Elimination on Saturday.
Cycling star Paige Greco won bronze in the road race on the final day of the cycling competition, bringing Australia’s total cycling tally to 13 medals for Tokyo 2020.
The Tokyo 2020 Para-swimming program ended with Australia claiming silver in the Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay (34 points), taking the total at the pool to 33 medals.
The Australian boccia team’s BC3 pairs campaign came undone in a tie-breaker against world No.2 Hong Kong.