Great Britain beat medal haul from Tokyo on another golden day in Paris

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Great Britain basked in another bumper day as they surpassed their Tokyo haul to reach 42 gold medals and landed a worldrecord to boot, courtesy of Ben Sandilands in the men’s T20 1500m.
Sandilands, the 21-year-old Scotsman and Games debutant, crossed the line in three minutes and 45.40 seconds, which shaved 0.1 secs off the previous best held by American Michael Brannigan.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Sandilands. “I’ve put in so much hard work. I knew I had the speed in me at the end from my training. The timing has to be perfect and I went for it, and the world record means a lot. It’s incredible.”
At Roland Garros, Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid claimed the men’s wheelchair doubles gold, the only prize to have eluded them after 21 grand slam titles. They closed out their Japanese rivals Takuya Miki and Tokito Oda 6-2, 6-1.
Hewett and Reid had lost their last two Paralympic finals, but were not to be denied in an absorbing victory.
“This is something that we’ve been desperate for for a long time now. And we’ve come so close twice and felt that heartbreak, felt that pain,” said Reid. “And that’s been some of the toughest moments in my career. So to sit here with the gold around our necks, I think it’s up there with one of the best.”
Hewett added: “The atmosphere has been electric this week. And the way the French public have taken to Paralympics has been nothing short of amazing and inspirational, I think, for a lot of people. And to have the opportunity of playing on Philippe Chatrier doesn’t come around a lot when we’re playing at Roland Garros.”
Elsewhere, there were gold medals for Dame Sarah Storey and Sophie Unwin in the women’s road race, for swimmer Poppy Maskill in the S14 women’s 100m backstroke, and a second wheelchair fencing gold medal for Dimitri Coutya in the epee B classification.
The day ended in a flurry of silvers, including a blistering Universal 4x100m relay which featured Jonnie Peacock and Sammi Kinghorn. Piers Gilliver then earned silver in the men’s epee A final to bring up a century of medals for Great Britain at the Paralympics. The cherry on top of another golden day.
PARALYMPIC GOLD MEDALISTS @GordonReid91 🥇 We’ve worked so hard for this moment and to achieve something that’s been desperately wanted for a long time was a dream come true. So grateful to have the team we do behind us on this journey. Paris I’ll never forget 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/VyQQUBa1Ap
GB’s Piers Gilliver comes very close to a gold medal in the men’s epee A final. The wheelchair fencer and defending champion was eventually bested by China’s Sun Gang, the champion from Rio 2016. Sun’s joy and jubilant celebrations with his team show just how tight this bout was between two athletes at the pinnacle of their sport.
It is a hat-trick of silvers in Paris for Gilliver, and will also go down as GB’s 100th medal of the games. The cherry on top.
And they’re off. GB make a blistering start with Zac Shaw and Jonnie Peacock. Blink and you miss the changeovers — this is such a fast-paced race. The US team are right there with them.
As Ali Smith rounds her corner, a blur of red in the next lane brings the focus onto the Chinese team, who are sensational on the final two legs. Wen Xiaoyan sets up Hu Yan with a dominant run, and Sammi Kinghorn cannot match the Chinese T54 athlete as he powers over the line to with a new Paralympic and world record of 45.09 seconds. An emotional reaction from Hu Yan as he crosses the line, they really wanted that record.
Jonnie Peacock, Zac Shaw, Sammi Kinghorn and Ali Smith are out on the track for a massive race. The universal relay features four athletes, each with a different diability and really is the ultimate symbol of the Paralympics.
Visually impaired athletes start off the race, they changeover to an amputee sprinter, then on to an athlete with cerebal palsy before a wheelchair athlete completes the race.
GB landed the silver in this event in Tokyo. Let’s see what they can do here.
After yet another medal-laden day, GB currently stand at 42 golds. That’s one better than the 41 won at the Tokyo Games three years ago, and there is still just over two days of action to go.
The medal total at this Paralympics is now also up to 98 and inching closer to the 100 mark. That could happen later this evening, with Piers Gilliver already guaranteed a medal in his gold medal fencing bout and a universal relay final featuring GB stars Jonnie Peacock and Sammi Kinghorn coming up shortly.
It’s a hattrick!Poppy Maskill claims her third gold of the games whilst Olivia Newman-Baronius takes a great bronze 🏊🏻‍♂️#C4Paralympics | #ParalympicGames | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/NkSq1KTW1B
Great Britain’s Matthew Harding has finished his -80kg powerlifting final in fifth place with a best of 200kg. It was a monumental task to get anywhere near Iran’s Roohallah Rostami, who lifted an astounding 242kg, a new world record, and took the gold medal.
At the Stade de France, GB’s Hollie Arnold has matched her bronze medal from Tokyo with a fine third round throw of 40.59m in the women’s F46 javelin final.
Venezuela’s Naibys Gil just cannot be matched. Her final throw is a new Paralympic record, a monstrous 43.77m that will earn her the gold. Uzbekistan’s Shahinakhon Yigitalieva takes the silver with a best of 43.12m.
Back at the South Paris Arena, a thrilling, back-and-forth MS7 singles final between Will Bayley and Yan Shuo of China has ended with a silver medal for the GB table tennis player.
Bayley was penalised for kicking a ball in frustration in the deciding fifth game, which he eventually lost 11-9.
That is three Paralympic finals and three silver medals for Bayley, who fought with so much passion this evening. The crowd were loving his energy throughout.
Valentina Petrillo, the only runner to line up without a guide, is all set to go in the women’s T12 200m semi-final. She blows kisses to the crowd as her name is announced, but is then forced to set up all over again as a false start reduces the field from four to three competitors. 
NPA athlete Anna Kulinich-Sorokina is found to be the culprit and is summarily disqualified.
Petrillo runs a season best of 25.92, but finishes way behind the two other semi-finalists. It will not be enough to qualify. Simran of India and her guide Abhary Singh will progress however, with a time of 25.03.
Off the back of last night’s loss to China in the men’s team foil final, GB’s Dimitri Coutya has now added another gold to that silver and his triumph in the men’s foil B category.
It was leveled at 6-6 between Coutya and Thailand’s Visit Kingmanaw before the GB fencer hit another gear, overpowering his opponent to take the individual epee B title 15-10.
What a moment and what a Paralympics it has been for him.
Perfection in Paris! Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid are FINALLY Paralympic champions! 🥇🎾What a performance to witness 😮 #C4Paralympics | #ParalympicGames | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/7DREB79iPq
A tenacious performance from Will Bayley has helped him claw a game back against Yan Shuo. Once again he has to come back, this time from 5-0 down.
He rebounds to take the game 14-12 and even things up.
Italian father-of-two Valentina Petrillo is up next at the Stade de France in her second semi-final of these Paris Paralympics. The 51-year-old hit back earlier after being called an “out-and-proud cheat” by author JK Rowling, saying: “I’ve never even read Harry Potter.”
The first openly transgender Paralympic athlete, who has sparked ferocious controversy by running as a woman at these Games despite competing until the age of 45 as a man, was savaged by Rowling after winning a 400 metres heat for visually-impaired female athletes. 
“Why all the anger about the inspirational Petrillo?” she wrote, sarcastically. “The cheat community has never had this kind of visibility! Out-and-proud cheats like Petrillo prove the era of cheat-shaming is over. What a role model. I say we give Lance Armstrong his medals back and move on.”
Oliver Brown has the full story here.
Will Bayley came very close to overturning an eight point deficit in his first game against Yan Shuo of China in the MS7 men’s table tennis single final.
GB support in the South Paris Arena was in great voice as Bayley came back to 9-8, but Yan resisted the pressure and managed to grab the final two points.
We’re into the second now. Can he level things up?
Moments later, we’re back for another race and another trio of British athletes. This time it is Poppy Maskill, Megan Neave and Olivia Newman-Baronius who will go for gold in the women’s 10mm backstroke S14 final.
Maskill, with two golds and two silvers under her belt already in Paris, was the fastest qualifier by almost a second and a half. Can she seal a hat-trick of golds here?
It’s a lightning quick start from Neave and Maskill, but both trail Valeriia Shabalina through the opening 50m. A beautifully executed turn from Maskill gives her an edge heading into the final 25m, which she doesn’t waste. It’s a third gold for Maskill and a fifth medal at these games, one for every event she’s appeared in.
Newman-Baronius hung on to claim a bronze medal, with her compatriot Neave less than a second behind in fourth.
The evening session is kicking off over at La Defense Arena. We could be looking at a flurry of medals for GB, with plenty of representation in the first event.
Louis Lawlor, Mark Tompsett and Will Ellard will all be vying for a medal in the men’s 100m backstroke S14 final.
No one is surprised, however, to see Australia’s Benjamin Hance, whoset a new world record in his heat this morning, steam to the gold in a time of 57.04 seconds.
Gabriel Bandeira of Brazil is just behind him in 58.54 seconds and it is Tompsett who grabs the bronze, just two tenths of a second ahead of his countryman Ellard who comes agonisingly close to a medal. Their GB team-mate Lawlor finishes seventh.
“It has been simply spectacular.” Sophie Unwin and pilot Jenny Holl receive the gold medal. 🥇 #C4Paralympics | #ParalympicGames | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/xybhLDTniE
GB’s Matthew Harding opens his 80kg para-powerlifting final with a successful 192kg lift. 
That is currently quite a chunk less than the current leader, Roohallah Rostami of Iran, who has just heaved a monstrous 234kg. That is only 6kg off the Paralympic record.
Hewett and Reid were on the verge of victory here as the Japanese duo began to fatigue in the early games of the first set. Dogged attacks from the GB pair saw them go 5-1 up in the second set after winning the first 6-2… Finally the pairing, with 21 Grand Slam titles, are Paralympic champions. Straight sets 6-2, 6-1. One hour 35 minutes. First set took an hour. 
Great to be here and report on @alfiehewett6 and @gordonreid91 win @Paralympics gold@ParalympicsGB pic.twitter.com/hj9tF8GaH7
What a performance.
Long-term friends and doubles partners Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid have won their first Paralympics wheelchair tennis doubles title with a comprehensive win over Japan’s Takuya Miki and Tokito Oda.
This has been a long time coming for the pair who have won 21 Grand Slams together – they’ve been waiting on their first Paralympic gold and they’ve secured it in impressive fashion today. 
They won the first set 6-2 and then battled their way to an impressive 6-1 victory in the second set. 
A 40th gold medal for ParalympicsGB!
This is it…
The GB duo are 5-1 up in the second set. Just one more game to win and they’ll have secured their first Paralympic doubles title. 
The atmosphere is electric in the Roland Garros Stadium.
The GB tennis duo are 4-1 up in the second set of the men’s wheelchair tennis gold medal match.
It’s hard to see how they don’t win this now.
A dominant performance from a duo in perfect sync with each other- they just need to ensure they keep cool heads.
 
GB’s Hewett and Reid are three games up in the second set of the men’s doubles wheelchair tennis gold medal final. 
This has been a very impressive performance from the pair who are almost on the verge of securing their first Paralympics duo title. 
Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid have won the first set in the men’s doubles wheelchair tennis gold medal match. 
A confident performance from the GB duo saw them win 6 games to 2 and they are currently a game up in the second set.
This certainly isn’t a guaranteed victory for the British pair, however, as their Japanese competitors still look sharp. 
Another evening of finals awaits in the La Defense Arena pool and Maisie Summers-Newton has kicked off the action nicely with another bronze medal in the women’s S6 400m freestyle. 
She finished behind China’s Yuyan Jiang in first, and Switzerland’s Nora Meister who clinched silver. 
The next para swimming final with British interest is the men’s S14 100m backstroke – featuring GB trio Louis Lawlor, Mark Tompsett, and William Ellard. 
“Victory belongs to the most tenacious,” said Roland Garros, the French aviation pioneer and one of the first fighter pilots in World War One, who was shot down in 1918.
This great stadium named after the national hero is being espoused by GB’s Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid in this men’s tennis final. 
They have played beautifully – sometimes powerful, sometimes deft, to go 3-0 up in the first set. 
But then the same brilliance from Japan’s Takuya Miki and Tokito Oda. They almost brought it back to 3-3 with the same tenacity but the Brits battled to win the game and lead 4-2.
Crowd riveted.
Tennis chess here in the final. Such an important match for the GB duo. Only major title they have not won…
Debuts to remember 🔥Ben Sandilands powered to men’s 1500m T20 gold in world record time and Marcus Perrineau-Daley had a blistering start to thank for his silver medal in the men’s 100m T52 🙌#ParalympicsGB
GB duo Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid are three points up in the first set of the men’s doubles wheelchair tennis gold medal match. 
If they win this game, it will be the duo’s first Paralympic title, after they lost their previous two Games finals… No pressure!
GB’s para equestrian team have shot up into second place after a strong performance from Natasha Baker saw her finish with a total score of 75.367%.
They now have a combined total of 219.562% and sit comfortably in the silver medal position, with Austria currently trailing them in third place with a score of 209.125%.
There are still seven more riders to take to the arena before GB’s final position is confirmed but the team should feel confident with their final score.
It has been a fierce start to this match with both the English and Japanese duos looking sharp in the wheelchair tennis men’s doubles gold medal match. 
It is GB’s Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid who take the first point in the first set. 
As the Channel 4 pre-match montage shows, Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid are close long-term friends and doubles partners. 
And the pair have shared reams of success together after winning 21 Grand Slams as a duo and currently rank numbers one and two in the world in men’s wheelchair doubles.
A Paralympics victory is the last title to elude the duo. They have lost their last two finals, but they come here in a strong position and want to become the first men’s doubles team to complete the career golden slam.
Hewett and Reid have beaten their Japanese competitors in four of their last five Grand Slam finals – including Roland-Garros this year.
And with that, the match is about to start… best of luck to the GB duo. 
Sophie Unwin’s victory in the women’s B road race secured ParalympicsGB’s 39th gold medal at Paris 2024.
They are now just two medals off their 41-strong gold medal haul at Tokyo 2020. 
With a stream of finals and gold medal matches coming up over the weekend, the team are in good stead to beat their previous Games achievement. 
In 1984, Britain won its greatest number of medals, 331, and gold medals, 107, at a single Games. 
Since those Games, the Paralympic schedule has been significantly updated and streamlined, with around 40% fewer events contested, and greater numbers of countries contesting those events that remain.
GB’s next biggest gold medal haul was at Seoul 1988 when they won 65. 
Here for @Paralympics wheelchair tennis finals @rolandgarrosHuge applause for Yui Kamiji andLots of tears womens singles winner on Philippe Chatriet Court.@alfiehewett6 & Gordon Reid up now in mens doubles final.@ParalympicsGB @Paralympics pic.twitter.com/DDpTOygbWL
Tonight at 6:42pm BST, all eyes will be on the Stade de France track when Italy’s Valentina Petrillo, the Paralympics’ first openly transgender runner, competes in the semifinals of the women’s T12 200m for visually impaired athletes.
In the qualifiers this morning, Petrillo was the ninth fastest out of 19 runners across all the races – with the top 12 qualifying for the semifinals. 
Earlier this week, Petrillo became a Paralympic sprinter at the age of 51 and dissolved in tears after failing to make the final of the visually-impaired classification of the women’s 400m. 
So what’s the big deal? Well, as our chief sports writer Oliver Brown explains: ‘the Italian is a father-of-two who was still competing at 45 as a male, who won national titles in men’s track and field, and whose self-portrayal in 2021 was of a “tough guy who would speak dismissively of women, who would have given you the idea he was sexist”.’
After competing in the 400m this week, Petrillo was condemned by author JK Rowling as an “out-and-proud cheat” for participating in a women’s event on the grandest global stage.
The para sprinter was defiant after the race and said: “It is not right that we suffer discrimination and prejudice simply because we exist. 
“Don’t be afraid. This is the thing that bothers me the most, the idea that people should be afraid of me. I don’t hurt anyone.”
Tune in from just after 6:30pm to see if Petrillo can do one better, and make it to the finals of the women’s T12 200m…
Alfie Hewett and and Gordon Reid are about to take to the Philippe-Chatrier court in the men’s wheelchair tennis doubles gold medal match. 
Hewett and Reid have won 21 Grand Slams as a duo and are undefeated on this French tennis court for the past five years. 
Despite their many successes, the pair are yet to win a Paralympic title – that could all change today. 
They will take on Japan’s Takuya Miki and Tokito Oda who they have defeated in four of their past five meetings. 
Two medals for ParalympicsGB in the women’s B road race. 
After a solid performance, in which she retained her third place position for the majority of the two-and-a-half hour trek, Lora Fachie and her pilot Corrine Hall have clinched bronze. 
They finished a minute and a half behind Ireland’s Katie-George Dunlevy who won silver, after finishing three seconds behind Sophie Unwin. 
Wow!
GB’s Sophie Unwin is victorious in the women’s B road race. 
After following the Irish tandem for the majority of the 99km track, Unwin and her pilot Jenny Holl overtook Ireland’s Katie-George Dunlevy, defending world and Paralympic champion, in the final sprint to the finish line. 
An incredible performance from Unwin and Holl, who closely followed Dunlevy for the majority of the two-and-a-half-hour race. 
They overtook the Irish tandem at the perfect time, within the final kilometre of the race, and gave it their all to sprint to the end for gold. 
Heading into the final lap of the women’s B road race, Ireland’s Katie-George Dunlevy still leads, with GB’s Sophie Unwin close behind. 
Lora Fachie of ParalympicsGB has retained her position in third, however she has fallen behind slightly and currently trails the two leaders by 56 seconds. 
She sits comfortably in third, however, with France’s Anne-Sophie Centis a whole 3-and-a-half minutes behind her. 
After two rounds, ParalympicsGB’s para equestrian team currently sit in ninth place in the team event. 
Georgia Wilson was the second Brit to take to the arena at the Chateau de Versailles and received a score of 73.300%.
GB’s combined score after two team members have performed is 144.195%. Their final competitor, Dawn Chorus, will need a score of 60.5% or more to break into the top three, and 80% to overtake Germany who currently sit in first place. 
A tough challenge, but certainly not impossible… stay tuned. 
Sarah Storey reflects on her success in the road race this morning.
Another chapter in the Storey 📚@DameSarahStorey takes her Paralympic medal tally to 30 with an emphatic gold medal this morning 🔥#C4Paralympics | #ParalympicGames | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/N3lr352MhV
There is just over 25km left to go in the women’s B road race. 
Ireland’s Katie-George Dunlevy and GB’s Sophie Unwin are neck and neck – both completing the distance so far in 1:52.04.
GB’s Lora Fachie is just 28 seconds behind the two leaders. 
The next racer, France’s Anne-Sophie Centis, is over two minutes behind Fachie in fourth place. 
Gold is pretty much guaranteed for Ireland or GB – who will cross that finish line first? 
Over an hour and a half into the women’s B road race, GB’s Sophie Unwin is closely pursuing Ireland’s Katie-George Dunlevy who is currently in first place.
On the streets of Clichy-sous-Bous, a commune just east of the French capital, para cyclists are tackling a gruelling 99.4km route in the men’s and women’s B road race. 
The visually-impaired para athletes ride on a tandem bike with a sighted pilot sat in front of them. 
Currently, Ireland’s Katie-George Dunlevy, the defending Paralympic and world champion, is in first place. 
GB’s Sophie Unwin is close behind her, as is British team mate Lora Fachie who is currently just 25 seconds behind the two leaders.
So far, so good for the British medal hopefuls. The third GB racer, Elizabeth Jordan, is in seventh position as things stand. 
That’s it – a dominant performance from Cuba’s Yunier Fernández sees him win gold in the men’s MS1 wheelchair table tennis singles final. 
It’s his first Paralympics medal and you can see how much it means to the para athlete as he celebrates with friends and family after winning the third game 11-4. 
GB’s Rob Davies is unable to reclaim the title which he lost after being unable to compete at Tokyo 2020, but it’s still a great effort from the competitor as he takes home the silver medal. 
It’s SILVER for @robbie_tt in the men’s singles table tennis MS1!Well played, Robbie!#ParalympicsGB 🥈 pic.twitter.com/qExPh6nje3
The Cuban competitor has won the first two games in the men’s singles MS1 gold medal match, and currently leads GB’s Rob Davies in the third. 
This is a must-win game for the Brit – but he’s currently looking low on confidence and trails his competitor 4-1. 
GB’s Rob Davies is in action in the men’s MS1 singles wheelchair table tennis final. 
He is taking on Cuba’s Yunier Fernandez and, so far, the two men have been very evenly matched. 
A tie break decided the first game – Fernandez clinched the point after an intense battle between the two men to claim two clear points. 
I have a feeling this match could go down to the wire. 
This is it. 
GB’s Robert Davies takes on Cuba’s Yunier Fernandez in an attempt to reclaim his title in the men’s wheelchair table tennis singles, which he was unable to defend at Tokyo 2020.
Best of luck, Rob!
There is British interest in the women’s B road race this afternoon, where the para cyclists tackle a gruelling 99.4km route around Clichy-sous-Bous, a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris. 
Sophie Unwin currently sits comfortably in second place, just behind Ireland’s Katie-George Dunlevy, the gold medal favourite. 
GB’s Lora Fachie is currently in fourth and Elizabeth Jordan is close behind in eight position.
Unfortunately, GB’s Steve Bate had to pull out of the men’s race after his pilot, Christopher Latham, was diagnosed with Covid-19. 
He’ll be back… ⏩As if it was ever in doubt, @JonniePeacock puts to bed any rumours of an early retirement 😤#C4Paralympics | #ParalympicGames | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/G0DfjMf0IE
Coming up, GB duo Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid will take on Japan’s Takuya Miki and Tokito Oda in the men’s wheelchair tennis doubles gold medal match. 
Hewett is a three-time French Open winner and is also through to the men’s wheelchair tennis singles final at Paris 2024 after a straight sets victory over world number three, Martin De La Puente. Meanwhile, Reid has won medals of all three colours at the Paralympics and is a record-holding 25-time Grand Slam doubles champion.
The expectations are high as this highly-decorated duo take to the Philippe-Chatrier court at the Stade Roland Garros. Today’s matches began at 12:30pm BST and the gold medal competition will be second. 
Another upcoming gold medal match with British interest is the men’s MS1 para table tennis singles final. Robert Davies will take on Cuba’s Yunier Fernandez at around 1pm BST. 
This is Davies’ second Paralympics – at Rio 2016 he clinched gold in the men’s class 1 singles and in 2019 he won his fourth consecutive European singles title. 
He was unable to defend his Paralympic title in Tokyo after he had to withdraw before the Games with a shoulder injury. Let’s see if he can claim that title back in this afternoon’s tournament… 
Piers Gilliver defeated China’s Jianquan this morning to qualify for the men’s Épée category A semifinals.
He beat his opponent 15-12 and will battle Turkey’s Hakan Akkaya for a place in the final at 2:10pm BST. 
The second heat featuring the USA, Japan, and Brazil in the universal relay qualifiers has just concluded – and ParalympicsGB have a confirmed spot in the final.
The team will race China, who just set a new world record, the USA, and Japan tonight at 7:55pm BST. 
After completing the universal relay qualifier, Jonnie Peacock was asked whether he would be at the next Paralympic Games at Los Angeles 2028 – and his response was firm. 
Speaking to Channel 4, he replied: “Oh yeah, that’s never a doubt – that’s never a doubt, don’t be silly!”
The reporter said questions had been raised after Peacock missed out on a Paralympics medal in the men’s T64 100m final on Monday. His answer was clear: “What happened the other night? Don’t worry about that – it’s all about tonight.”
Fans will be delighted to hear confirmation from the man himself – Peacock is here to stay. 
The ParalympicsGB team finished their universal relay heat in a time of 46.61 – a new area record. 
However, they came second to a speedy China team who set a new world record with a time of 45.09.
Now, ParalympicsGB must wait to see if they’ll qualify as the second heat takes place. Teams from Japan, the USA, and Brazil now take to the track… 
This is going to be exciting.
Zachary Shaw, Jonnie Peacock, Ali Smith, and Samantha Kinghorn have taken to the Stade de France track. 
They are racing against China in the first heat. The four best performers overall will advance to the final… Stay tuned.
Over at the stunning Chateau de Versailles, the para equestrian team event is underway.
Para dressage sees athletes classified into five grades, depending on their levels of mobility, strength and coordination. 
Grade 1 tests are ridden in walk, grade 2 and 3 include walk and trot, and grade 4 and 5 are comprised of walk, trot and canter.
There are five judges marking each test, spread at different points around the arena.
In the team events, the scores of all three team members are combined to produce a team total, and the nation with the highest total takes gold.
After the first round, the ParalympicsGB team have a score of 70.895%. They have two more team members to compete – Georgia Wilson and Natasha Baker – so Sophie Wells’ score puts them in good stead.
Jonathan Broom-Edwards, gold medallist in the men’s T64 high jump at Tokyo 2020, has crashed out the final at Paris 2024. 
He failed to complete a single jump in the final and was consoled by friends and family after his final attempt. 
A frustrating end to the para athlete’s third Games. 
After finishing fifth in his heat with a time of 1:42.62, GB’s Isaac Towers has qualified for the men’s T34 800m final. 
In the qualifiers, the first three in each heat and the next two fastest overall advance for the final. 
Towers did not automatically qualify, however his time meant he was one of the next two fastest.
He will go for gold in the final tomorrow morning at 9:10am BST.
After winning her 19th gold medal in her Paralympic career, Dame Sarah Storey said she is not ruling out Los Angeles in 2028. 
Speaking after the women’s C4 to C5 road race, she said: “Who knows. I need to enjoy this first. Never say never to anything. This just needs to sink in because it was one of the most exciting races that we’ve had and from the word go it was full gas.
“I’m just thankful that my wheel was in front at the finish. The lap before, a coach of hers said [19-year-old Frenchwoman Heidi Gaugain] from the other side of the road ‘next lap on the left’. So I had a look where we were to make ready for that. He shouted ‘go’ and I went too. 
“Heidi took a little bit of a gap which is fine because that’s a big acceleration that she made. I had a little bit of speed because I was trying to pre-empt it. It was just a matter of holding her while she continued her acceleration, it was a long way out. It was the only tactic she could use because I have the fastest sprint. 
“When we were together in that final corner that’s when she unleashed it. She tried to come again I think as I had my head down, I could see furiously pedalling through my bike.” 
On Heidi Gaugain’s attack, Storey said: “The key is not to be afraid to lose a bike race. You put yourself out there every time you get on the start line and I keep doing that, and keep finding ways to win a bike race so long may that continue.”
An incredibly impressive feat from GB’s Ben Sandilands – in his debut Games, he has broken the world record and won gold in the men’s T20 1500m.
Well played, Ben!
The Universal Relay is a fairly new sport – it was created in 2018 and first included in the Paralympics at Tokyo 2020.
It is an exciting and unique event which features athletes with a variety of disabilities. The sport is subject to a number of rules that each team must respect, or risk disqualification. 
The race is started by a visually impaired athlete, followed by an amputee sprinter. A person with cerebral palsy tackles the third leg, before passing over to a wheelchair athlete who finishes the race. Each team must be composed of two male and two female competitors. 
In this event, the only relay at the Paralympics, you won’t see any baton sticks as the handover is done by touch. 
For the first Paralympic final in the history of the sport in 2021, the Americans dominated their opponents and set a new world record in 45.52.
Hoping to seize that title at Paris 2024 is ParalympicsGB’s team featuring Samantha Kinghorn, Jonnie Peacock, Zachary Shaw, and Ali Smith. 
The first round will take place just before 12pm BST and the four best performers will advance to the final. 
GB’s Marcus Perrineau Daley has claimed silver in the men’s 100m T52 wheelchair race final.
He finished second in 17.27sec  behind Belgium’s Maxime Carabin and ahead of Tomoki Sato of Japan.
Meanwhile over at the athletics there has been gold for GB’s Ben Sandilands in the men’s T20 1500m.
The Scotsman obliterated the field with a stunning world record run.
It was Great Britain’s fifth athletics gold in Paris.
The 21-year-old, who also won the World Championships title last year, was third behind Mikey Brannigan of the US and Italy’s Ndiaga Dieng at the bell. 
But a superb last lap saw him power away to cross in 3min 45.40sec, beating Brannigan’s former record by 0.10sec.
It is Storey’s second gold of the Paris 2024 Games after she bagged the time trial on Wednesday.
But this road race victory was surely among her best – if not her best – since her Paralympics debut (as a swimmer) at the Barcelona 1992 Games, aged 14.
Now 46, Storey looked to have lost gold when 19-year-old Frenchwoman Heidi Gaugain broke away with just over 1km to go, perhaps it was time for a changing of the guard, but Storey fought back to win in a blistering finale. Superb stuff.
Dame Sarah Storey wins the women’s cycling road race… in an incredible finish!
The Briton has won her 19th gold medal at the Paralympic Games. Her first, in swimming, was at the Barcelona Games in 1992.
With just over 1km to go, France’s Heidi Gaugain, 19, made her break and looked as if she had done it. The gap looked too big. 
But Storey, 46, dug deep and reeled in her rival. They were neck and neck approaching the line and as Storey went past, Gaugain fought back, but the Briton held on. 
Possibly the greatest gold of her collection…
Colombia’s Paula Andrea Ossa Veloza was left in their wake and takes bronze.
France’s Heidi Gaugain, 19, has made a break for it with just over 1km to go, Sarah Storey, 46, has to chase…
Brief glimpse of the women’s race there… the leading trio, GB’s Sarah Storey, France’s Heidi Gaugain and Colombia’s Paula Andrea Ossa Veloza are sharing the leading duties as they navigate the final lap… 3km to go and the commentators are predicting a three-way sprint finish, although they conceded there are a few climbs/descents and corners yet which could yet provide more twists.
Somewhat annoyingly (for British fans at least) the live feed is concentrating more on the men’s cycling road race – which is in its earlier stages – rather than the women’s race, in which GB Paralympic legend Sarah Storey is in a three-way final-lap battle for gold. Channel 4 doing their best to keep us updated anyway, to be fair.
Confirmation from the women’s C4-5 road race that the USA’s Samantha Bosco has dropped out of medal contention… meaning that GB’s Sarah Storey is guaranteed a medal, barring disaster.
The 46-year-old Englishwomen is going for her 19th gold medal – more three decades after her first time on a Paralympic Games podium. 
She is in a final-lap battle with France’s Heidi Gaugain, who is just 19, and Colombia’s Paula Andrea Ossa Veloza, who is 32.
 
GB’s table tennis star Will Bayley will play his old rival Yan Shuo of China in tonight’s final – a repeat of the Tokyo Games finals match, in 2021, in which the Briton was beaten. 
Bayley said after his defeat of Jean Paul Montanus of the Netherlands 3-0 just now: “JP is one of most dangerous players in the world and a great player. I’ve been strategising and looking at beating him for three or four years, he used to be a favourite against me. 
“I delivered under pressure. With my disability I have to play perfectly. I feel really focused, I wanted to come here and win gold, I knew this match towards the end was won, but I wanted to keep my energy up and not celebrate because I have the biggest match of my career coming up tonight…”
Back to the road cycling… GB’s Sarah Storey remains in the leading group of three in the women’s C4-5 road race. The chasing pack are more than 1min 30sec behind and they are on the penultimate lap, so it looks like these three will fight for the three podium spots.
France’s Heidi Gaugain and Colombia’s Paula Andrea Ossa Veloza are keeping Storey company.
However, the USA’s Samantha Bosco has recently dropped out of the front pack – she’s somewhere between the two packs – and could mount a revival to get back into the medal fight.
Will Bayley, one of the great characters of the GB Paralympic team, gold medallist in Rio and silver medallist in London and Tokyo, has  beaten Jean Paul Montanus of the Netherlands in their table tennis semi-final, in straight games 11-6, 11-7, 11-2 in the mens’ singles class 7.
Bayley plays in the final at 7pm tonight. He was on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and given that he was born with arthrogryposis, which which affects all four of his limbs, which are fused together, he is remarkable. 
At the age of seven he was diagnosed with cancer. During his recovery he began playing table tennis after his grandmother bought him his first table. I’ll be there at the final.
Italy’s Valentina Petrillo, the Paralympics’ first openly transgender runner, has reached the semi-finals of the women’s 200m T12 for visually impaired athletes.
All three runners in heat 5 qualified: Petrillo, India’s Simran (the reigning world champion) and Alejandra Paola Perez Lopez of Venezuela.
Twelve runners from the five heats go into the semi-finals and Petrillo was the ninth fastest out of 19 runners across all the races.
World record holder Durand Elias of Cuba, who won heat 2, was the fastest in 24.78.
Iran’s Hajar Safarzadeh Ghahderijani has won the fourth heat of the women’s 200m T12 for visually impaired athlete. Final heat coming up…
GB’s William Bayley has won his table tennis semi-final, cruising past Jean Paul Montanus of the Netherlands, 11-7, 11-6, 11-2.
He will face China’s Yan Shuo or Thailand’s Chalermpong Punpoo in the final (they are playing their semi now).
Over to the athleics, it’s the third heat of the women’s 200m T12 for visually impaired athletes… most of the runners accompanied by a guide… Spain’s Melani Bergez Gamez wins this one.
In the earlier runs, Germany’s Katrin Mueller-Rottgardt won heat 1 and Omara Durand Elias of Cuba won heat 2. 
Valentina Petrillo, the Paralympics’ first openly transgender runner, goes in heat 5. 
GB’s William Bayley is going well in his table tennis semi-final, having won the first two games against Jean Paul Montanus of the Netherlands.
British Paralympic legend Sarah Storey is among the leading group of four in the women’s road race… we’ll keep an eye on that…
The 200 T12 heats start this morning at 9.08am and the Italian is in heat 5.
Earlier this week, Valentina Petrillo became a Paralympic sprinter at the age of 51 and dissolved in tears after failing to make the final of the visually-impaired classification of the 400 metres. So what’s the big deal? Well, as our chief sports writer Oliver Brown explains, ‘the Italian is a father-of-two who was still competing at 45 as a male, who won national titles in men’s track and field, and whose self-portrayal in 2021 was of a “tough guy who would speak dismissively of women, who would have given you the idea he was sexist”.’
After competing in the 400m this week, Petrillo was condemned by author JK Rowling as an “out-and-proud cheat” for participating in a women’s event on the grandest global stage.
Despite the chorus of condemnation, Petrillo depicted her Paralympic experience as a triumph of inclusion. “It is not right that we suffer discrimination and prejudice simply because we exist,” the sprinter said. “Don’t be afraid. This is the thing that bothers me the most, the idea that people should be afraid of me. I don’t hurt anyone.”
Except, as Brown explains, Petrillo did hurt somebody. ‘Her name was Lorraine Gomes de Aguiar, a 27-year-old Brazilian who had her left eyeball removed as a child due to a rare cancer of the retina. She lost out by a single place on a world championship final last summer due to Petrillo’s involvement. This time she was again relegated to the status of fastest loser, denied a potentially once-in-a-lifetime chance to qualify for a Paralympic semi-final by somebody identifying as a “trans dad”.’
Good morning and welcome to day nine of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
Here are today’s must-watch events…
Canoeists will take to the water for three days of competition in the newly built Vaires-sur-Mare Nautical Stadium. Tune in this morning morning as Britons such as Rob Oliver and Jeanette Chippington begin their campaign. The sport is a relatively new addition to the Games. While kayak events were introduced at Rio 2016, a second form called va’a, where competitors use a single-blade paddle, first appeared at Tokyo 2020. 
Wheelchair tennis’s “two-bounce” rule allows players to return the ball after it has bounced twice. Gold could be on the cards for ParalympicsGB after two afternoon finals. Podium hopefuls include Alife Hewett, Gordon Reid, and Abbie Breakwell. 
The Paralympics’ first openly transgender runner Valentina Petrillo begins her 200m sprint campaign today and will likely come face to face with outspoken rival Katrin Mueller-Rottgardt. The latter recently claimed Petrillo – who transitioned in 2019 – could have a potential “advantage” in the race, while the Italian sprinter insists it is “only fair” she be allowed to compete.