Ukrainian athletes began the Paris 2024 Paralympics with four medals. On the first day of the competition, our Paralympians won two silver and two bronze medals.
According to the official website of the International Paralympic Committee, all medals on the opening day were won in swimming.
The silver medals were awarded to Anton Kol (100m backstroke, class S1) and Iryna Poyda (200m freestyle, class S5).
The bronze medals went to Anna Gontar (50m freestyle, class S6) and Oleksandr Komarov (200m freestyle, class S5).
It’s worth noting that on August 29, competitions were held in 12 sports: boccia, goalball, archery, badminton, track cycling, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, shooting, sitting volleyball, basketball, and rugby.
In the medal standings after the first day, Ukraine is in 17th place.
China leads the medal tally with four gold medals won throughout the day. Also in the top five are Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, and France.
Congratulations to the athletes and their coaches on their awards!
It should be noted that at the 2024 Paralympics, Ukraine is represented by 140 athletes: 96 men and 44 women.
Out of the 140 Paralympians on the roster, 101 have mobility impairments, 30 have visual impairments, and nine have intellectual and physical disabilities.
Over 23% of the team members are making their Paralympic debut. The athletes come from 20 regions of Ukraine and the city of Kyiv. They will compete in 17 out of 22 sports, setting a record in the Paralympic history of our country.