Paris Paralympic Games 2024: ParalympicsGB celebrate historic Super Sunday with record 12 gold medals
Updated 02/09/2024 at 11:19 GMT+1
React to this story
Sunday September 1 2024 will go down in history for ParalympicsGB after the team celebrated a record 12 gold medals on a truly astonishing day. The previous record for the team was nine in a single day, but the record was easily passed on a day that will live long in the memory featuring team efforts, individual magic and one world record.
Paris hands Olympic flag over to Los Angeles for 2028 Games
Video credit: TNT Sports
A truly historic day for ParalympicsGB ended in what will go down as a Super Sunday that saw 12 gold medals won, more than any other single day for Team GB in Paralympics history.
There were incredible stories across the day with the legendary Hannah Cockroft sealing a fourth consecutive T34 100m title – and eighth Paralympic gold – in style in the evening.
“I had a little tear in my eye as I crossed the line as I honestly didn’t know if I would win it today,
“It means so, so much to just be able to hold on for a fourth Paralympic Games. Honestly, on the start line, they said: ‘On your marks,’ and it didn’t go quiet and I had a little panic: ‘What if I don’t hear the set?’ My wheels were buzzing and I was trying to find my grip, it took me back 12 years because the last time I felt like that was London 2012.
“That’s what we do it for, that support, it is amazing. I can’t wipe the smile off my face, my wheels were vibrating from the noise, I knew Paris could do it and I’m so glad they did.
“The standard is getting better and better. This is the first time since London that we’ve had heats in the 100m, this morning Lauren Field, the girl from the USA, said: ‘I watched London 2012 and that’s why I’m here,’ and I just really, really hope there are some girls at home saying: ‘I can do that.’”
Also, in the evening athletics session, there was a world record for Sabrina Fortune in the women’s F20 shot put with a huge throw of 15.12m.
“I still can’t believe it,” she said after the event.
“I was expecting about 14m on the first throw, just a simple throw and then I hit the world record and I just wanted to jump up and down and celebrate right then and then I remembered I have five more throws after that and couldn’t do it yet.
“I didn’t expect with my limb disability to do an event like this. To be able to go on the world stage, it’s a crazy experience.
“It’s like magical [the atmosphere], it’s like you’re walking into a world that is just crazy. The roar around you is deafening. It’s something that I don’t think I’ll ever forget.”
In the pool, there were four golds anchored by a win for Will Ellard, Rhys Darbey, Poppy Maskill and Olivia Newman-Baronius in the Mixed S14 4x100m Freestyle Relay.
Brock Whiston took gold in the women’s SM8 200m individual medley, with Alice Tai taking bronze in the same race whilst Maisie Summers-Newton took the women’s SB6 100m breaststroke title. Grace Harvey completed the set with the women's SB5 100m breaststroke title.
In the velodrome in the Para-Track Cycling, James Ball and pilot Steffan Lloyd took the men's B 1,000m time trial title with Sophie Unwin and pilot Jenny Holl triumphing in the women's B 3,000m individual pursuit. There was also open C1-5 750m team sprint success for Jody Cundy, Jaco van Gass and Kadeena Cox.
And earlier in the day there was a trio of golds in the rowing with Lauren Rowles and Gregg Stevenson taking the mixed double sculls, Ben Pritchard in the men's single sculls and finally a team effort the mixed coxed four.
Catch up on every moment of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on discovery+
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement