Tag: scotland

27/09/2024

A Magical Moment for the McGuire Brothers at the Paris Paralympics

By William Moncrieff

Stephen McGuire made headlines at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games when he won gold in the men’s boccia individual BC4 – a historic moment for the Scot which was 20 years in the making.

What made the winning moment extra special was that his brother, Peter, was not only in Paris watching the gold final but he was commentating live for Channel 4.

In the final Stephen found himself up against Colombia’s Edilson Chica Chica. Stephen beat the Columbian 8-5 on the way to being crowned champion.

“When they started asking me questions, after I knew Stephen’s outcome, I wasn’t prepared. I just fell to bits. All that work, he did it,” said Peter.

Peter had to wait a while before he could officially congratulate his brother in person.

“I first got to see him back here in Hamilton. The medal, he pulled it out of his sock and he presented it to me. That was a nice moment, sharing the achievement that he has been striving towards for 20 years,” he said.

Watching and commentating on his brother’s golden performance was an obvious highlight for Peter in Paris but the experience of being a part of Channel 4’s broadcasting crew was filled with great moments. Being a former Paralympian and now an active boccia coach, Peter was able to provide solid insight into the sport.

Commenting on his experience, he said: “The atmosphere was great. There was no pressure for me, so I really enjoyed the moment.”

“Some of the boccia played out there was outstanding, it really showcased the sport on the world stage,” he said.

The Paris Paralympics were the second Games that Peter had attended in an official capacity. Both Peter and Stephen were selected to represent ParalympicsGB at London 2012. Going to a Paralympics and being with his brother when he accomplished his goal, is something that Peter looks back on fondly.

“At the time my brother’s (Stephen) only goal was to compete at a Paralympics. He’s gone one better and won gold now.”

Competing with his brother is something Peter views as some of his biggest highlights in the sport. “We were world championship silver medallists. It was amazing to have that with him,” said Peter.

Over the last year Scottish Disability Sport have been working alongside SQA to make physical education more accessible. This development within the education system in Scotland means that pupils with a disability can be assessed performing in both boccia and goalball. Peter views this as being a positive step forward. “It’s great that it’s happening now.”

“If Stephen and I had that back then when we were going through high school, it might have opened up the avenue to do PE. We didn’t know what boccia was back then.”

Furthermore, it will, “help introduce the sport to a younger audience. We will reap the benefits for boccia in years to come.”

If you would be interested in taking up the sport of boccia you can do so by reaching out to your Regional Development Manager, or by contacting the Boccia Development Officer – Jonathan.kennedy@scottishdisabilitysport.com

In case you missed any of the Paris 2024 Paralympic action, you can find all the daily reviews and highlights on the SDS website, here.

To keep up to date on all things disability sport across Scotland, make sure to follow SDS on Facebook, X and Instagram and on the SDS website.

24/09/2024

Get Involved and Try Goalball!

HAVE YOU BEEN INSPIRED BY THE PARALYMPIC GAMES?

Northern allstars Goalball club, based at Sport Central, Northumbria University, Newcastle are welcoming new players! Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for people with a vision impairment. The Northern All Stars sessions are open to anyone regardless of their goalball experience and the club would like to promote their sessions to Scottish players owing to their proximity to the border! Upcoming sessions are as follows:

Saturday 12th October
Saturday 9th November
Saturday 14th December

(All sessions are 11am until 4pm).

If you have any further questions, please contact: goalballnorthernallstars@gmail.com

11/09/2024

Double Gold Glory for the Scots on Day 10 in Paris

On the penultimate day of the Games, the Scottish athletes bagged another three medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

By Lauren Cameron

On Saturday (7th), Fin Graham and Stephen Clegg found the top of the podium whilst Hope Gordon secured a silver to help bring Scotland’s medal tally to 20.

Scottish rider, Fin Graham, secured his first Paralympic gold of the Games on Saturday morning’s men’s C1-3 Road Race in Paris.

The 24-year-old outsprinted home favourites Thomas Peyroton-Dartet and Alexandre Leaute (FRA), with an impressive time of 1:43:19. 

The Highland athlete described the win: “It is the pinnacle of our sport… Paralympic gold, nothing compares to it. That’s what we work towards every four years, to be able to come away with that is amazing.”

Despite securing gold, Fin admits the race was not without its challenges.

“The French made it hard because it was two against one the whole race.” He added: “I didn’t really know what their plan was because they were talking in French the whole race.”

Describing the race, he added: “Alex [Leaute] led up the final climb and I thought that was his attempt to lead Thomas [Peyroton-Dartet] out. In the last couple of races I’ve managed to beat him in a sprint so I felt fairly confident.”

Fin’s confidence paid off, earning him his first Paralympic gold ahead of the Peyroton-Léauté duo. He adds the gold to his one silver that won on the track (men’s C3 3000m Individual Pursuit).

In the swimming finals, Stephen Clegg won his second Para swimming gold of Paris 2024 in the men’s100m Butterfly S12.

Stephen, 28, the world record holder in the event, crossed the finish line with a time of 57:49.

The win is Stephen’s second gold after a triumphant performance in the 100 Backstroke S12 earlier in the Games, cementing his status as a double Paralympic champion in Paris.

According to the Lothian athlete, Saturday’s win is just the beginning: “I’m always striving for more and better. Every result I have, I am evaluating how it’s gone as a performance rather than just the result”.

Reflecting on his journey to the Paralympics, he adds: “This is a reward for the roll of the dice I took 10 years ago. A lot of people thought I was crazy when I came back and take a shot at being a Paralympic champion.”

Stephen dedicates his win to his family and friends: “None of this happens without them. I owe them everything.”

Faye Rogers was also in action in the pool, finishing fourth in the 200m Individual Medley SM10 final. Despite not reaching the podium in her final event in Paris, she did take the title on day six – winning gold in the women’s 100m butterfly S10 on her Paralympic Games debut.

In 2021, Rogers was involved in a car accident and three years on, she is a Paralympic champion.

On her time in Paris, she said: “It’s been the best experience of my life, amazing from start to finish. But I’m glad to be done.”

“The biggest learning I’m taking away from this experience is how emotionally draining it is in the best way. That 100 fly gold medal was crazy and a high but then there are also some lows. I don’t think I appreciated that going in.”

ParalympicsGB’s success on Saturday continued with Hope Gordon, who took silver in the women’s Canoe Va’a single 200m VL3.

Hope, from Golspie, shared her thoughts from Saturday’s race: “I didn’t have the perfect race but there is no one I would rather stand next to on the podium than Charlotte [Henshaw].” 

She added: “I train with Dave everyday and he is like a brother to me. This is his fifth Games and for him to finally get that medal, it was so special to watch.” 

“We were happy with whichever way round it went and we just wanted to get as many medals on the medal table for ParalympicsGB”, said Hope.

Robyn Love and Jodie Waite were in action on the basketball court for the final time, as ParalympicsGB’s women’s wheelchair basketball team took on Germany in the 5-6 Playoff Game. The team finished with a strong win, 48-39, to end their Paralympic campaign in Paris with a fifth place finish.

The Paris 2024 Paralympics runs from the 28th August – 8th September. You can follow all the action and find out how the 21 Scottish Para athletes get on by following Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website. You can catch all the action on Channel 4. More information here.   

09/09/2024

Sammi Kinghorn Strikes Silver Again, on Day 8 of the Paris 2024 Paralympics

Sammi Kinghorn wins her third silver medal in Paris whilst there’s victory in wheelchair basketball for Robyn Love and Jodie Waite

By Bethany Lee

Sammi Kinghorn has won a silver medal in the women’s 400m T53 final, bringing her medal tally to an impressive four medals (one gold, three silvers) in Paris.

The Scot sped down the track to secure second place with a time of 53.45.

Following her silver performance, she said: “I’m absolutely buzzing, four from four, you can’t be disappointed with that. It was a good race and I’m happy with the time as Catherine’s (Debrunner) PB is about two and a half seconds faster than mine so she was always going to be quick. I wanted to make sure that the silver was well and truly mine and I’ve done that.”

It’s fair to say that the Scot was riding a high from her golden performance in Wednesday’s 100m T53 race. She said: “I was still lying awake at 3am last night just buzzing with myself so this is great. I slept in until half 10 though. Last night was incredible for me, knowing that I had one last chance to come out and enjoy it.”

It was the final event of a very successful Paralympics for Sammi with the Melrose star adding her Paris medals to her Tokyo 2020 Games 400m silver, solidifying her legacy as an elite Para athlete.

Reflecting on the Games, the 28-yer-old, said: “I’ve done a lot better than I thought I would coming in. I did hope that I could come away with medals from each of my four events. The 1500m was a surprise, I probably could get fourth or squeeze a bronze in that so it’s been a complete shock. And to win that gold last night was a real shock. This has been my best Games by far.”

In other Para athletics news, Glasgow’s Melanie Woods competed in the women’s 400m T54 track, qualifying in third place in the heats.

The fast-paced final saw the Scot finish sixth after a tight race with just 2.50 seconds between first and last place.

Following the final, Melanie said: “I’m a little bit disappointed with the time but realistically in a field like that, it’s probably a good finish. When I look back, I’ll see it as a respectable finish.”

“I think I’m in PB shape and I was ready to take chunks off my time, it just didn’t come out of me today. It’s a mix of weather and a week of racing in my arms. But all things considered, I’m pretty proud.”

Reflecting on her experience in Paris, the 30-year-old, said: “I started the week with some huge personal bests. I then changed my expectations, I raised the bar for myself, but these girls are getting faster every year so I need to do the same. It’s a mixture of feeling proud you’re getting better but knowing I need to chase these girls down and close the gap. I definitely think I have a lot more to give.”

Meanwhile on the basketball court, ParalympicsGB’s women’s wheelchair basketball team also met victory. Scottish players Robyn Love and Jodie Waite, alongside their teammates, skilfully dominated the game against Japan, with a 67-55 win.

The win gives the team the chance to compete for fifth place on Saturday in Paris.

Scottish athletes were also seen in action in today’s Para swimming events.

First up was the newly crowned fly Paralympic champion, Faye Rogers. Faye continued to show her athleticism by securing a third place in the women’s 400m freestyle S10 heats, gaining her a spot in her second Paralympic final.

Despite giving it her all, the podium was just out of reach for Faye. She clocked a time of 4:41.50, to place fifth.

She said: “It’s really nice to see the class is getting more competitive, it’s looking really good. I couldn’t be prouder to swim in a race that competitive, it’s insane, and it’s making me faster. I’m a little bit disappointed with the time, I’ve been training a lot better than that, but you can’t change it and I gave it my all.”

The University of Aberdeen student has already emerged victorious from her first ever Paralympic games, gaining a gold medal in the women’s 100m S10 butterfly on Tuesday.

Faye’s will next compete in the women’s 200m individual medley SM10.

Looking towards her final event in Paris, she said: “I’m quite excited for it, I’ve been doing a lot of work on my weaker two strokes. It’s an interesting one for me as I do really struggle with breaststroke, I have never been good at it, so my race often doesn’t look like everyone else’s. but I really enjoy racing it and I’m going in third seed, so I’d love to come out with a medal but all I can do is my best.”

The second Scottish Para swimmer of the day, Toni Shaw, competed in the women’s 200m individual medley SM9.

A highly competitive heat saw Toni neck-and-neck with three other swimmers battling for the second-place spot. They couldn’t keep up with the Scottish star though as she pushed herself into second, sending her through to her third final in Paris.

Despite fighting hard in a tight race, Toni lost out on a medal by just 0.24 seconds and had to settle for fourth. A tough final defeat for the 21-year-old, who finished fifth and eighth in her other Paris events.

04/09/2024

Gordon Reid Gets a Shot at Gold in Doubles After Singles Exit

The Scottish tennis star can look back on a busy day with positivity despite a gutting loss in his singles match

By Paul Morrison

A defeat in the singles quarter final this morning didn’t stop ParalympicsGB’s Gordon Reid from booking a spot in Friday’s doubles gold medal match today after a statement semi final victory with partner Alfie Hewitt.

The Scot didn’t appear affected by his straight set loss to Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez as the top seeds in doubles took down French duo Stephane Houdet and Fredric Cattaneo.

There is still British hope in the singles draw with Alfie going through to tomorrow’s semi final, while Gordon will have all his focus on Friday to win doubles gold for the first time at a Games.

For the second time at the wheelchair tennis event in Paris, Gordon was involved in two matches on the same day, with his first contest coming in the morning on Roland Garros’ main court, Phillippe-Chatrier.

Sharing a head-to-head that goes all the way back to their junior careers, Gordon and fourth seed Fernandez have faced off over 50 times, with the Argentinian having the slight advantage overall.

It looked to be a thriller of a match after the 15-minute opening game that saw Fernandez keep his serve. However it turned out to be the closest game of the set as Gordon struggled to get up to speed while Fernandez took full advantage of the Scot’s slow start.

Losing his first three service matches, Gordon was tasked with pulling off an almighty comeback following a 6-0 set where Fernandez showcased his quality, producing crushing winners that were unforgiving on Reid’s shaky performance.

The second set proved to be much closer as both players traded blows, which saw a total of eight breaks of serve. Great shot making was clear to see from each side of the court as Gordon stepped his game up to a high level that tennis fans have been familiar with over the years.

Forcing a tie-break, there was very little to split the two top 5 players, but despite some sensational skill from Gordon, he was unable to stop the Argentinian this time round as Fernandez only needed a single match point to secure his spot in tomorrow’s semi final with the 6-0, 7-6(5) triumph over the Scot.

Fernandez had nothing short of total respect for his competitor and friend, saying: “I’ve known him (Gordon) since he was 14 and I was 13. We care for each other because it’s a long time since we’ve known each other. It’s nice. It’s a beautiful thing that tennis gives you.”

Later in the day, Gordon would get the chance to put the loss behind him in perfect fashion as he joined Alfie Hewitt to play for a spot in the doubles gold medal match, with the French pair of Houdet and Cattaneo the only obstacle in their way.

One of the all-time greats in wheelchair tennis doubles, 53-year-old Houdet was himself aiming for a fourth doubles gold medal after winning in Beijing 2008, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

Denying Gordon and Alfie of gold in 2016 and 2020, the Brits looked to finally get the better of the Frenchman but were made to comeback from a break down in the opening game.

It wasn’t long until the British duo were back ahead before both pairs were breaking each other for most of the first set. Gordon and Alfie found joy in targeting Cattaneo’s side of the court but struggled to find an answer to Houdet’s sharp hand skills with the racket.

The winning count was proving the difference as Gordon and Alfie’s 12 point-winning strikes helped them take the first set over the French partners.

The second set stayed on serve to make it 4-3 to the Brits before a blow was dealt for the French on Cattaneo’s serve that gave Gordon the opportunity to serve out the match.

With some excellent point-constructing and world class shot making, Gordon starred to confirm their win with a neat drop shot as the ParalympicsGB men made it a third straight gold medal match at the Paralympic Games.

With a strong win over a French pair cheered on by all corners of Suzanne-Lenglen, Gordon and Alfie are just one win away from accomplishing a first-time achievement for the British duo.

Gordon will be back in action on Friday (6th) with Alfie on Phillippe-Chatrier to face the second seed Japanese pair of Takuya Miki and Tokito Oda in the men’s doubles final in what will be a must-see spectacle for British fans. Come on Gordon and Alfie!

The Paris 2024 Paralympics runs from the 28th August – 8th September. You can follow all the action and find out how the 21 Scottish Para athletes get on by following Scottish Disability Sport on Facebook, X and Instagram, as well as on the SDS website. You can catch all the action on Channel 4. More information here.  

03/09/2024

The Medals Keep Coming as Scots Take Gold in the Pool and Silver on the Athletics Track on Day 6

Faye Rogers Wins Paralympic Gold on her Games Debut and it’s a Second Silver for Sammi in Paris.

Faye Rogers produced a stunning swim in the pool on day six of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

The 21-year-old put in a terrific performance in the women’s 100m butterfly S10 to take the title of Paralympic champion on her Games debut.

Faye made her intentions clear in the morning, when she clocked 1:05.92 in the heats – just 0.5 off her own European Record.

Whilst the final was harder work, the Scot backed herself as she turned for the final 50m in second place behind teammate Callie-Ann Warrington. She edged ahead with 25m to go and touched the wall first with a time of 1:05.84.

In 2021 she was involved in a car accident which squashed her Olympic dreams. Nearly three years to the day since that accident, she can now call herself a Paralympic champion.

“It’s a big full circle moment and I couldn’t be prouder of how far I’ve come. I couldn’t have asked for more from the last three years”, said Faye.

She went on to say: “Coming into Para sport has been the best thing, I couldn’t be more grateful for this journey and I have learned so much about myself. I’ve started getting messages off people in similar situations and it makes me so proud and grateful that my experiences are helping other people. There are so many people who could benefit from Para sport, it’s just amazing.”

“There are always days it feels like it’s never going to get any better but it does. There’s always a way to adapt to stuff and overcome stuff. I’ve found over the last three years there’s nothing I can’t do, it might just look a little bit different, and that’s absolutely OK. It has been such a whirlwind and I couldn’t be happier.”

Meanwhile on the Para athletics track – Sammi Kinghorn stormed to silver in the women’s 1500m T54, to claim the first of the two medals won today (3rd).

It’s a second silver for the Scot in Paris, adding to her 800m T53 medal won on Sunday 1st.

“Who would have thought a sprinter would get a medal over 1500m, I certainly did not. I thought I’d be jostling for fourth, maybe squeeze a third”, said Sammi.

The wheelchair racer clocked a time of 3:16.01 to seal the silver.

The 28-year-old said: “I kinda got a bit disorientated and I stopped at 200m to go because I thought we were done – it’s so loud in here which we’re not used to. So I learned I need to count laps. But that noise is absolutely electric and I’m absolutely buzzing to come away with a medal.”

Sammi continued to say, “You really just have to put yourself out there – there’s some strong, strong athletes in there. To beat Susanna [Scaroni, bronze medallist] has blown my mind and to be able to sit on the back wheel of Catherine is incredible.”

Teammate Melanie Woods put in a superb effort in a packed final to finish eighth with a time of 3:23.37. The 30-year-old from Glasgow, sang her teammates praises after the race:

“I train with Sammi so much throughout the year and to see her hard work turn into medals is so exciting and gives me hope that I can make the podium one day. It’s inspirational to see what she’s achieving out there.”

Gordon Reid and partner Alfie Hewett came head-to-head with the Netherlands Ruben Spaargaren and Maarten Ter Hofte in the men’s wheelchair tennis doubles.

Games were close and fiercely contested but Gordon and Alfie rallied through to secure the win, 6-2, 6-1.

“We came out firing right from the start and we produced some of our best stuff at the beginning of the match. That settled us down early and in the second set they raised their level and tested us a lot more. There were a lot of long games that we came out on top of and it was a really good test going into the next match”, said Gordon.

Day seven will be particularly busy for the 32-year-old Scot as he will compete in both the men’s singles quarterfinal and doubles seminfinal.

The current order of play sees him playing his singles semifinal against Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez at 11am BST, before he joins Alfie to play the doubles semifinal against home favourites Stephane Houdet and Frederic Cattaneo in the late afternoon.

On facing the French, the Scot commented: “We’re just really excited to come up against them. It was one of our dreams before the tournament to come up against the local favourites. We’ve got big singles matches first in the morning to deal with but once they’re over with, we’ll be ready to go.”

Stephane Houdet was in the men’s doubles pair that won gold at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, defeating Gordon and Alfie in both finals. Both Gordon and Alfie will be hoping that it’ll be third time lucky for them in Paris.

It was a tough start for the mixed team BC1/BC2, who suffered a 13-1 loss in their opening pool game against the People’s Republic of China. The mixed team, who is made up of Scotland’s Kayleigh Haggo, Claire Taggart and David Smith, had the challenge of resetting and refocusing before they took on Portugal in the evening pool match.

The trio produced the goods in a tightly fought game, winning 5-4 to advance to tomorrow’s quarterfinals where they will play Indonesia at 11:50am.

“It was really nerve-wracking, especially after the result this morning, so I’m so happy we got the win”, said Kayleigh following the win.

02/09/2024

Scottish Boccia Athlete Wins Paris 2024 Paralympics Gold Medal on Day 5

Scottish boccia star Stephen McGuire wins gold for ParalympicsGB and his first ever Paralympic medal.

By Bethany Lee

Scotland’s Stephen McGuire just won a 2024 Paralympics gold medal on day five in Paris.

The star from Hamilton dominated the men’s BC4 individual final against Columbia’s Edilson Chica Chica – which marked the inaugural final for this boccia category at a Paralympic Games.

There was not a dry eye in the audience of GB supporters, or the thousands watching on the livestream, as Stephen celebrated his win.

“I’ve played this sport for 20 years and I’ve been in every possible final, apart from the Paralympics, I’ve never even been to the podium. I was starting to feel this event was getting away from me, two fourths in London, another fourth in Rio, I didn’t even make the semis in Tokyo, it just shows why you should never give up,” said Stephen.

Despite drawing three all by the second end, Stephen took a magnificent lead in the third, dominating the game after a few mistakes from Chica Chica.

His victory looked almost certain by the final end, but Stephen kept his cool, bringing it home with an 8-3 win and securing the gold medal.

Stephen said: “I felt really confident in the final. My flatmate is David Smith and he’s won three golds, he told me to have no regrets and told me not to settle for silver, just go for it.”

Stephen’s older brother and boccia player, Peter McGuire, commentated on the game for Channel 4. As Stephen took the win, Peter got emotional.

When asked what this means for him and his family, Peter tearfully said: “I can’t describe it right now, it means not only acceptance, but we’re here and we’re strong. It’s hard to put into words.”

The victory comes after an incredible Paralympics for Stephen, only losing one game the entire tournament.

“There wasn’t many nerves, there were more in the semi-final because I’ve lost the last three. It’s a Paralympic final, I may never reach another one, so I told myself to enjoy it,” Stephen said.

Stephen has been working towards this for twenty years, finishing fourth at three previous Paralympic Games and coming back from a knee injury in 2021. He has had an amazing year in the sport, winning 17 out of his previous 18 international matches. However, qualifying for Paris 2024 was never guaranteed.

“The easiest way to qualify [for the Paralympics] is through the pairs but I didn’t make it, so I had to focus everything on the individual. It was a lot of hard work, a lot of soul searching and I was the last person to be named on this team, the others knew months ago. It’s been an unbelievable season, I’ve made a final in every competition I’ve entered.”

A well-deserved win in Paris for Stephen and for ParalympicsGB.

01/09/2024

Scots Add Three More Medals and a New World Record to the Tally at Paris 2024

There was plenty of action on day four in Paris as the Scots scooped up a further three medals and set another world record, on Sunday 1st September.

It was a second medal in Paris for Jenny Holl, who piloted Sophie Unwin to gold in the women’s B 3000m individual pursuit.

“We’ve completed the set now, when you include our Tokyo medals, we’re done!” Exclaimed Jenny.

The pair made their intentions very clear after qualifying for the final with a new world best time of 3:17.643. Although they couldn’t catch their own blistering time in the final, the duo took the title with another impressive time of 3:19.149, a gap of 2.166 seconds to second placed Katie George-Dunlevy and pilot Eve McCrystal (IRL).

“We needed to do something new, we came second at the World Champs this year. We had nothing more than that, that’s what we had then. We didn’t want another silver medal.” Said Holl, the 24-year-old from Blair Drummond.

The win takes their medal tally to one gold and one silver in Paris.

Neil Fachie, piloted by Matt Rotherham, sealed silver in the men’s B 1000m time trial in the velodrome. The defending champion headed into the final with the fourth fastest time of 1:00.543. In order to guarantee a podium finish the pair would have to break the one minute barrier. Despite achieving this and clocking a time of 59.312, teammate James Ball and pilot Steffan Lloyd bettered the duo by 0.348 seconds. A thrilling final and first medal in Paris for Neil and Matt.

“I think we’re both proud of ourselves. We came for the gold but it was always going to be hard. I thought we rode really well all day today, we executed the plan the way we wanted it to. Our opening lap has been mega, but I felt like I didn’t have the legs at the end of the race today and that’s where our teammates had the better of us. It’s the only time they’ve ever gone quicker than us so fair play to them, I think we can be really proud of ourselves, we couldn’t have done more today.” Said Neil.

From the Para cycling track to the Para athletics track, both Melanie Woods and Sammi Kinghorn were in action in the 800m T54 and T53 respectively.

Melanie clocked a new PB time of 1:45.81 to finish third in her heat and bag her spot in the 800m final T54. The Para athlete from Glasgow put in another solid performance in the final, setting another PB time of 1:43.85 to finish fifth.

Sammi Kinghorn had a straight final of the women’s 800m T53 and claimed silver behind Catherine Debrunner (SUI) who retained her Paralympic crown.

Sammi secured the silver medal with a superb time of 1:42.96.

In boccia, the dream of finally winning a Paralympic medal has come true for Stephen McGuire as he progresses to the gold medal final of the men’s individual BC4 competition (Monday 2nd, 4pm BST).

Stephen leaned on his years of experience and kept his cool to beat Davor Komar 5-3 in the semifinal (1-0, 3-0, 1-0, 0-3).

“It’s incredible. It’s 20 years hard work, I’ve wanted this for 20 years. I’ve been working with my coach for 10 years so it’s been a long, long process. To finally get that medal for myself and ParalympicsGB is a dream come true.” Said Stephen.

Reflecting on his semifinal performance, the 40-year-old from Hamiltonn said: “He [Davor] is European champion so it was always going to be a tough game but I just battled. I got the angles I needed, put him under pressure and scored points at critical moments, which was key.”

A Paralympic medal is the only medal that Stephen hasn’t got. The only question that remains now, is will it be silver or gold.

“I’ll certainly enjoy the final. I perform well in finals, there’s no pressure as you’ve made it to the end. I’ve enjoyed the whole event and I will enjoy the final.”

Stephen will face Colombia’s Edilson Chica Chica in the tomorrow’s (2nd) final.

Meanwhile Edinburgh’s Patrick Wilson’s Paralympic campaign came to an end when Croatia’s Damian Iskrzycki (with ramp operator, Dariusz Borowski) defeated him 4-1, in the men’s individual BC3 quarterfinal.

“Pretty gutted. I was trying to do the right things but they weren’t coming off. I almost came back in the third end but it didn’t quite happen.” Said Paddy.

Reflecting on the game, he said: “I definitely belong here but at the moment need to put it all behind me.”

“We can never forget the support we have. Great support from friends and family.”

Despite the loss, Patrick (with ramp operator Meredith Greenwood) put in a solid performance in what was an extremely competitive event.

It was a nail-biting quarter final in Para archery, with Nathan Macqueen up for Great Britain in the men’s individual compound. Nathan was beaten by just one point (143-142) by the American Matt Stutzman (the ‘armless archer’).

“I think it was lost on the first end. I shot 9-8-9 and if I hadn’t done that, I would have had him. I’ve shot against him before but never in this kind of setting, final-style.” Said Nathan.

“It’s quite hard, it was noisy – I thought I was up against a Frenchman for a second. I’ll chill now, see my family – I shot really well, it was just that first end. I’m happy and I’ll go into tomorrow (mixed team) with confidence.”

Nathan will play alongside Jodie Grinham in the Mixed Team Compound Open Quarterfinal, tomorrow (2nd) at 4:50pm BST.

Faye Rogers made headlines in the pool this morning by breaking the Scottish record in the women’s 100m freestyle S10, with a time of 1:01.90. After finishing joint third in the morning heats with Columbian swimmer Maria Paula Barrera Zapata, Faye was forced to compete in a swim-off but missed out on a Paralympic debut final by 0.06 seconds.

“I couldn’t be happier. I know I didn’t win and didn’t make the final but it was a huge PB and I can’t ask for much more than that and the first time I’ve been under 62 seconds which is cool.” Said Faye.

She continued to say: “The crowd is motivating me so much. I wasn’t sure how I was going to deal with it but it’s the coolest thing ever. I get so excited walking out and I’m trying to stop grinning the whole time which is really hard as I actually love it.”

It was a solid start in Paris for Gordon Reid, who took the win in both opening pool matches in the men’s wheelchair tennis singles and doubles.

He cruised to victory in the singles first, beating Sri Lanka’s Suresh Dharmasena 6-0, 6-0.

“I’m happy with that as a starting point. He can be a tricky opponent, if you give him time he can strike a good ball so I think I made it uncomfortable for him. For the first match, to get used to the conditions, courts, match play, I’m happy with the start.” Said Gordon.

Gordon, who is ranked number five, will face Japan’s Takuya Miki (ninth seed) tomorrow (2nd) at 11am BST.

The Scot had a few hours to rest and recharge ahead of his doubles game with Alfie Hewett against Chile’s Alexander Cataldo and Bryan Tapia. The duo left plenty in the tank though to take the game 6-1, 6-3.

It’s a fifth consecutive Paralympic Games for Gordon and together with Alfie, they’ll be searching for the one big doubles title that has eluded them so far.

In wheelchair basketball, it was another defeat for Robyn Love and Jodie Waite, after losing to Canada in yesterday’s pool game and today to the People’s Republic of China.

The People’s Republic of China continued their winning streak to remain undefeated in their pool in Paris. Despite a thrilling fourth quarter, the final score read 47-62 (9-16, 13-18, 9-11, 16-17). The result of tonight’s Canada versus Spain game, will determine where Great Britain finish in Pool A.

30/08/2024

Paris 2024 Paralympics: Day 2 Review

Scots seal two medals on day two

The medals came in quick concession on day two of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, with both being won in the velodrome (Para cycling, track).

Fin Graham faced off against fellow ParalympicsGB teammate, Jaco van Gass, in the men’s C3 3000m individual pursuit. The Scot put in a tremendous performance but being four seconds off the golden time, he had to settle for silver.

“As we said coming into it, Jaco is the one to beat, reigning world champion and he was Paralympic champion in Tokyo. It has shown he is able to peak at the right time. In this event there is no hiding, strongest man on the day wins and today that was Jaco.”

The duo provided a lot of entertainment in the morning heats. Jaco leapfrogged Fin’s world record just minutes after the Scot set the new world best time.

“It was a carbon copy to Tokyo – I go out, break a world record and then I have it for about five minutes, I barely get off the bike before Jaco’s taken it off me!” Said Fin.

Also finding the podium was Scotland’s Jenny Holl, pilot for Sophie Unwin (England) in the women’s 1000m time trial.

The pair held their nerve as the six fastest faced off on the track in what was a thrilling final. The Scottish/English duo were just 0.3 seconds away from claiming the silver medal.

In other news, it was a positive result for Nathan Macqueen in Para archery, who felt right at home competing in the rain.

“We excel in shooting in the rain. It’s our weather. If it’s like this for the rest of the week I’ll be laughing”, said the Scot who qualified for the last 16 with a 142-138 win against Slovakia’s Martin Doric in the men’s individual compound open.

On his performance, Nathan said: “It went fairly well. My heart was in my mouth a little bit. I started pretty well but I was really emotional – I don’t know if it was because my family were out there. It feels like I’ve won the Paralympics and I’ve only won my first match. But here’s to the rest of it, we’ll put on a good show.”

The 33-year-old from Addiewell will meet Iran’s Hadi Nori on Sunday (1st).

On the boccia courts, although it was a first defeat for Patrick in Paris, Stephen’s winning ways continued and Kayleigh secured her first win of the Games.

Stephen was first up and faced Ukraine’s Artem Kolinko in the men’s BC4 singles second group game. The 40-year-old from Hamilton gave a convincing performance, winning 7-1.

“Artem is a pairs European champion so he’s a tough opponent with a good win in his first game. So in terms of the structure of the group it was important to get that win so I’m very happy”, said Stephen.

Looking ahead, he said: “Boccia can be quite a funny sport – you can have a good day and then a bad day so it’s about staying as consistent as possible. Two wins out of two, I’ve got one group game left so fingers crossed. If I win that one I’m through and I top the group so that’s my goal.”

In the women’s BC2 singles, Kayleigh Haggo took the win against Portugal’s Ana Correia in her second match. It’s the first win for Kayleigh in Paris, recording 6-2 on the board.

“I played fantastic yesterday, I was really happy with that performance. I didn’t play as well today but I got the win and that’s all that matters. Once I knew I’d won the game it was crucial to try and get some more points on the board as that’s really important for qualification to the quarterfinals. It’s a long wait to find out if I’m in or not.” Said the 25-year-old from Ayr.

The win for Kayleigh guarantees her a place in the women’s BC2 singles quarterfinals.

“I came here with no expectations and no pressure so to get into the quarterfinals would be amazing”, commented Kayleigh.

Patrick Wilson was last up out of the trio, waiting until 8:40pm for his second pool match. The Lothian athlete had a tough competition against Australia’s Daniel Michel.

Despite a strong start, taking the opening end by two points, the Australian fought back to win the remaining three ends. The end score being 7-2.

Patrick’s final pool game will be against South Africa’s Karabo Morapedi, tomorrow (31st).

Martin Perry and Will Bayley’s dreams of a medal in the Para table tennis doubles came to an end tonight when home favourites, Clement Berthier and Esteban Herrault (FRA), held on to the lead to secure their spot in the men’s doubles MD14 semifinals.

The British pair looked to have an incredible comeback. After trailing 0-2 the duo fought hard to draw equal before conceding the final game, 11-9. The final score being 3-2 (11-6, 11-9, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9).

“It was an unbelievable experience. To have that atmosphere, however many thousands of us there were against the two of us, we showed our character. We were two points away from a Paralympic medal.” Said Martin, following the match.

“We had all the momentum going into that fifth set, we had played exceptionally well to get there from 2-0 down. We always believed in each other. They are European champions, ranked two in the world. We have shown we can win major medals, we just need that bit of luck.”

Next up for Martin is the singles MS6 competition starting on Monday (2nd).

29/08/2024

Paris 2024 Paralympics: Day 1 Review

Day one in Paris did not disappoint.

The Scots were in action in Para swimming, boccia, wheelchair basketball, Para cycling (track), Para table tennis and Para archery.

First up was Toni Shaw who swam a great heat to secure her spot in the final of the women’s 400m freestyle S9 with a time of 4:53.38. It was a highly competitive race where the swimmer from Aberdeen found herself in a five-way battle for bronze.

Turning seventh at the 250m mark, Toni put in one of the fastest last 50m splits in the field, touching home with a time of 4:48.44 for fifth place. Despite being off the medals, her performance was faster than her bronze medal winning swim at last year’s World Championships.

Robyn Love and Jodie Waite got their Paralympic campaign off to a terrific start with a convincing win in the women’s wheelchair basketball Preliminary Round against Spain, winning 69-34.

Robyn – who’s competing at her third Paralympic Games in Paris – said: “In these group stages, you can’t get too high or too low but I’m so proud of the squad and how we performed”.

Compared to the last Paralympics where no spectators were allowed, Paris is proving to be quite special for Robyn, with her young daughter in the crowd.

“She’s like a little good luck charm and emotional support baby for the squad and she’s definitely part of the team. The first thing I did when I came out was look for her. Whenever I see her face it makes me relaxed because I know that whatever I do, she doesn’t care about the result she’s here to watch her mummies and see her mummies and I went and had a little cuddle with her afterwards”, said Robyn.

Winning ways continued in the boccia with Patrick Wilson (BC3) and Stephen McGuire (BC4 v Abdul Razzaq Abdul Rahman, MAS) taking their opening pool matches in the individual events, 5-3 and 8-0 respectively.

Following his win against fellow ParalympicsGB teammate, William Arnott, Patrick said: “It was a difficult match but I got through it. It was important to get through it. It’s always a bit awkward to play against a teammate but we did it in the right way. I’m excited to get out there and try to get my second win. I’ve got to be good to do that.”

It wasn’t to be for Kayleigh Haggo though, who suffered a defeat to the number three seed Soyeong Jeong (KOR). She lost 3-1 in the women’s individual BC2.

In the men’s B 4000m individual Pursuit (track cycling), Neil Fachie and pilot Matthew Rotherham finished in 13th, clocking a time of 5:33.212 in the qualification round. They’ll next be in action on Sunday 1st, in the men’s B 1000m Time Trial qualification.

Meanwhile in the Para table tennis, debutant Martin Perry coupled with Will Bayley in the men’s doubles MD14, advance to the next round after a 3-0 win over Germany’s Thomas Rau and Bjoern Schnake.

Martin valued having such an experienced partner to play alongside, saying after the match: “To have Will next to me, filling me with that confidence and knowing that he believes in me, meant that after that I felt like I was standing ten feet tall. We fought for every ball and we played some good stuff. To finally get a match at the Paralympic Games means so much to me.”

The final Scot in action on day one was Nathan Macqueen in the men’s Individual Compound Open. Nathan put in a strong performance to finish sixth with a season’s best score of 696, to take him though to tomorrow’s (30th) round of 16 where he will face Slovakia’s Martin Doric.

Looking ahead to tomorrow he said: “It’s the biggest crowd that any of us have shot in front of. It’s going to be pretty special. And to have the family out there is going to be pretty cool. I’m just going to go and do my best.”