The 2024 Paris Paralympics continued to showcase exceptional athletic performances on September 3, with track and field events taking center stage. Russian athlete Alexander Kosten clinched gold in the T13 1500m race for visually impaired athletes, setting a new Paralympic record with a time of 3 minutes and 44.43 seconds. This victory adds to Russia’s impressive medal tally, which now stands at 33, including 9 gold medals.In the same event, Tunisian athlete Ruaï Jebabli secured silver with a time of 3:44.67, while Russian Anton Kulyatin took bronze, finishing in 3:44.94. Kulyatin, a Paralympic champion from Tokyo, expressed his satisfaction with the podium finish, noting the tough competition.The T11 1500m event saw Brazilian Yeltsin Jacques make history by not only winning gold but also breaking his own world record with a time of 3:55.82. This marks Jacques’ second Paralympic gold medal, showcasing his dominance in the event despite recent health challenges.In other notable performances, Ukrainian para-athlete Oksana Boturchuk, 39, secured bronze in the women’s 400m T12 final with a season-best time of 55.67 seconds. This medal extends Boturchuk’s impressive streak of winning medals in five consecutive Paralympics.However, the games also saw some disappointments. French athlete Arnaud Assoumani, a five-time Paralympic medalist, finished fifth in the T47 long jump event, missing out on a medal for the first time in his Paralympic career. Assoumani’s best jump of 6.77 meters fell short of the podium, with Russian Nikita Kotukov claiming bronze with a jump of 7.05 meters.Despite competing under neutral status due to ongoing geopolitical tensions, Russian athletes continue to make their mark at the Paralympics. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has allowed 88 Russian athletes to participate, although their medals are not counted in the overall standings.
Key points
- Russian athlete Alexander Kosten won gold and set a new Paralympic record in the T13 1500m race.
- Brazilian Yeltsin Jacques broke his own world record while winning gold in the T11 1500m event.
- Ukrainian Oksana Boturchuk secured bronze in the women’s 400m T12 final, extending her medal-winning streak to five consecutive Paralympics.
- French athlete Arnaud Assoumani missed out on a medal in the T47 long jump, finishing fifth.
Contradictions👾While most sources report positively on Russian athletes’ performances, there is an underlying tension due to their neutral status and the exclusion of their medals from the overall standings.
