Catherine Debrunner took her first Paralympic title in the women’s 1500m T54 at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.ⒸDavid Ramos/Getty Images
It was an unforgettable morning at the Stade de France on Saturday, 31 August 2024, as Swiss wheelchair racer Catherine Debrunner delivered a stunning performance. In the women’s 5000m T54 final, Debrunner took home the gold medal, dethroning defending champion and world record holder Susannah Scaroni of the USA. This victory not only marked her first Paralympic title but also saw her set a new Paralympic record.
The race was highly anticipated, featuring some of the best wheelchair racers in the world. Halfway through, Debrunner and Scaroni broke away from the pack, making it a battle for gold between the two. With a powerful surge in the final stretch, Debrunner finished with a time of 10:43.62, nearly nine seconds faster than Scaroni’s record from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
“It’s amazing. It was a tough push to stay ahead of Susannah. The race was hard, but the crowd kept me going,” Debrunner shared after her remarkable win. The Swiss athlete has more races ahead at Paris 2024, with five other events still to come in her busy schedule.
Debrunner also reflected on the experience of competing in such a massive venue. “Once I knew it was just me and Susannah, I was happy because I knew I was second or first. But then she sped up for the last 600 meters, and I stayed behind her. Somehow, I found some energy left at the end, and it was amazing to come in first. I’ve never raced in such a huge stadium. Even in the morning, it was pretty full, and the atmosphere was awesome.”
Elsewhere in the Paralympic competition, defending champion Fleur Jong of the Netherlands was in record-breaking form. In the women’s long jump T64, Jong extended her own Paralympic record for the T62 class not once but three times in her six jumps. Her performance earned her the gold medal, and her teammate Marlene van Gansewinkel claimed the silver, making it a successful event for the Dutch team.
Jong shared her excitement after winning gold and achieving her dream. “It’s amazing. I saw the bell being rung by gold medallists at the Olympic Games, and I was secretly dreaming of ringing it myself one day. Today, that dream came true.”
The excitement at the Stade de France didn’t stop there. China’s Zhao Yuping added to the day’s record-breaking feats by breaking her own world record in the women’s javelin F13. With this throw, she secured her first Paralympic title to go along with her four world championships, cementing her status as a dominant force in Para athletics.
In an intense men’s 5000m T13 final, Spain’s Yassine Ouhdadi El Ataby emerged victorious, winning gold for his country in an action-packed race. This was Spain’s first gold in Para athletics at Paris 2024, making it a momentous occasion for the Spanish team.
For the host nation, the excitement reached new heights when Antonie Praud captured France’s first medal in Para athletics, winning bronze in the men’s 1500m T46. Praud’s bronze was a huge morale boost for the French crowd, who had been eagerly waiting for their first podium finish. The gold in the event went to neutral Paralympic athlete Aleksandr Iaremchuk.
After the race, Praud expressed his emotions about competing in front of a home crowd. “I could hear the crowd, and I knew I had to give everything I had. Everything went almost the way I wanted, and it’s just crazy. I’ve already seen what it’s like in the Stade de France during the Olympics, and when I went out on the track today, the noise was incredible. I took all the positive energy from the crowd, and it helped me so much, especially in those last few meters.”
The morning session at the Paris 2024 Paralympics was full of remarkable performances, broken records, and unforgettable moments. With more events still to come, it promises to be a memorable Paralympic Games for athletes and fans alike. Catherine Debrunner’s triumph in the women’s 5000m T54 final will undoubtedly stand as one of the highlights of the Games, as she continues her quest for more medals in Paris.
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