Paris 2024 Paralympics Team Sports: Day 1 Highlights

On the opening day of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, team sports took center stage. Key events included Goalball, Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Rugby, and Sitting Volleyball. Here’s a summary of the results from the first day of competition.

Wheelchair Basketball

Men’s Tournament

In Group A, Great Britain secured a strong start by defeating Germany 76-55. Meanwhile, the French team is set to play its first match against Canada on Friday. In Group B, the United States faced a tough challenge against Spain but managed a 66-56 victory. The Netherlands also had a good day, beating Australia 66-55.

Women’s Tournament

The British women’s team mirrored the success of their male counterparts with an emphatic 69-34 win over Spain in Group A. The other game in Pool A saw China narrowly defeat Canada 70-65. Group B games are scheduled to begin on Friday.

Wheelchair basketball

Goalball

Women’s Tournament

Turkey, the two-time defending champions, had a challenging start to their tournament. Despite being Paralympic champions in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, they drew 3-3 with Brazil in their opening match. In another group, France struggled against Canada, resulting in a 10-0 loss. The second match in Group D saw Japan defeating South Korea 3-1 in an all-Asian showdown.

Men’s Tournament

The French men’s team faced a tough opponent in Brazil, the defending champions. They trailed 5-4 at halftime but ultimately lost 8-5. However, they remain hopeful for future matches. In Group B, China narrowly defeated Japan 7-6, while Ukraine had a more decisive 6-3 victory over Egypt.

Goalball

Wheelchair Rugby

The mixed wheelchair rugby tournament began with four matches. In Pool A, the United States won a close game against Canada, 51-48, with Chuck Aoki scoring 21 tries. Japan also started strong, defeating Germany 55-44. In Group B, Great Britain managed a narrow 58-55 victory over Australia, even though Australia’s Ryley Batt scored 36 tries. The host team, France, also secured a win, beating Denmark 53-51, led by Jonathan Hivernat, who scored 29 tries.

Wheelchair rugby

Sitting Volleyball

Men’s Tournament

The men’s sitting volleyball tournament kicked off at the Arena Paris Nord in Villepinte. In Pool A, Kazakhstan defeated France 3-0 with set scores of 25-7, 25-20, and 25-7. Bosnia-Herzegovina also had a strong performance, winning 3-1 against Egypt.

Women’s Tournament

The women’s side of the competition saw two straightforward victories in Pool B. Brazil dominated Rwanda with a 3-0 win, and later, Canada also secured a 3-0 victory over Slovenia.

Sitting volleyball

Conclusion

The first day of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games showcased a variety of thrilling performances across different team sports. From closely contested wheelchair rugby matches to dominant displays in sitting volleyball, the excitement and competitive spirit of the Paralympics were on full display. With many more events to come, the athletes are set to continue delivering remarkable performances throughout the games.