Brazil win first Para-athletics gold on day two in Paris

Brazil’s Julio Agripino dos Santos got the Para-athletics off to a flying start by winning gold and setting a new world record in the first race on day two of the Paris Paralympic Games.

The crowd in the Stade de France erupted in cheers as the 33-year-old crossed the line five seconds ahead of the previous fastest time in the men’s T11 5,000m.

ParalympicsGB’s Zachary Shaw impressed in the second race of the day after a photo finish saw him qualify for the final of the men’s T12 100m. Eden Rainbow-Cooper also progressed in the women’s T54 5000m.

There are 42 gold medals up for grabs on Friday, with many to come later in the pool.

GB champions Tully Kearney and Maisie Summers-Newton look set to retain their titles after comfortably winning their respective heats – S5 100m freestyle and SM6 200m individual medley.

Also going for gold this evening are twins Scarlett and Eliza Humphrey in the S11 400m freestyle.

Over in the rowing, GB’s Benjamin Pritchard set a Paralympic Games best time in the PR1 men’s single sculls heats to set him up for the finals.

Meanwhile, in the velodrome Jody Cundy got his eighth Paralympics off to a strong start by booking a place in the men’s C4-5 1,000m time trial. He will be joined by team-mates Archie Atkinson and Blaine Hunt at 14:52.

Agripino dos Santos made a golden start in the first race of the Para-athletics, the men’s T11 5,000m, in the Stade de France.

The visually-impaired athlete stormed past his team-mate and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champion Yeltsin Jacques to cross the line in a world-record time of 14 minutes 48.85 seconds. The race was so fast Jacques set a personal best to take bronze and Karasawa claimed an area record in silver.

In the second race of the day, GB’s Shaw blasted out of the blocks to qualify after a photo finish for the final of the men’s T12 100m (Saturday, 20:08 BST), where he will aim to upgrade the bronze medal he won at this year’s world championships.

The 24-year-old, who was making his Paralympics debut, landed just 0.01secs ahead of Brazil’s Kesley Teodoro.

“I’m really proud of myself for the journey I’ve been on,” said Shaw. “It’s almost sweeter that I only made the final by 100th because it just shows that I’ve really had to work for this.”

Rainbow-Cooper qualified fifth in the women’s T54 5,000m to reach the final at her first Paralympics.

“It’s 11 years of hard work and it’s all so worth it,” she said. “I’ve never raced in such a packed stadium and I’ve never heard so many people scream my name or just even the noise. It was incredible and it really helped when the pain kicked in on lap eight and nine.”

Para-swimmers Kearney and Summers-Newton both won gold at Tokyo 2020 and look on course to retain their titles after brilliant swims at La Defense Arena.

Just 24 hours after Kearney picked up gold in the S5 200m freestyle she was back in the pool defending her S5 100m freestyle crown. She goes into this evening’s final as first fastest in 1:17.75 (16:37 BST).

Team-mate Summers-Newton booked her place in the final of the SM6 200m individual medley (17:00 BST). The Paralympic and world champion powered ahead of the field to finish in 2:58.40.

Also going for gold this evening are the Humphrey sisters in the S11 400m freestyle (17:44 BST). Eliza is a European bronze medallist in the event and will hope to upgrade in Paris.

Meanwhile, US Para-swimmer Christie Raleigh-Crossley, who won silver in the women’s S9 50m freestyle on Thursday evening, has claimed she is being targeted and bullied over her classification as a disabled athlete.

The 37-year-old, who set a world record in the heats, said she received negative comments on social media before the final, “including comments by a team member, a team-mate of mine”.

She added: “The fact it is a prominent team member of Team USA who has come after me the hardest, it’s just absolutely disgusting.”

British Para-rower Pritchard had an outstanding morning in the Vaires-sur-Marne stadium.

The 32-year-old set a Paralympics Games best time in the PR1 men’s single sculls heats in 8:51.26 to progress to the final.

He claimed bronze in the event at this year’s world championships and was fifth at Tokyo 2020.

“I’m really happy. It’s always good to cross the line first but more importantly, the times I’m seeing in training are coming to fruition in racing,” Pritchard said. “That’s always nice, to not worry about who is around you and trust your body because you know what you’ve been doing in the winter and you know what will work.”

Gregg Stevenson and two-time Paralympic and world champion Lauren Rowles set a world best in PR2 mixed double sculls with a time of 7:56.92. Rowles will go for her third title in the final on Sunday at 09:10 BST.

Also defending their Tokyo 2020 title on Sunday will be the PR3 mixed coxed four of Erin Kennedy, Francesca Allen, Giedre Rakauskaite, Josh O’Brien and Ed Fuller after crossing the line first in the heats.

Samuel Murray and Annabel Caddick, who came second in the PR3 mixed double sculls heats, will also go for gold.

GB’s Beth Munro goes in the quarter final of the Taekwondo K44-65kg, while boccia stars Stephen McGuire and Kayleigh Haggo will hope to do well in their respective BC4 and BC2 preliminary rounds.

Para-archer Phoebe Pine Paterson will aim to progress beyond the women’s individual compound open 1/16 elimination.

Para-badminton player Dan Bethell, who won his match yesterday in front of former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, goes again in the men’s singles SL3 group stage.

And GB’s mighty wheelchair rugby team, who had a stunning victory over Australia on Thursday, will take on Denmark.

All the action will be covered on the BBC live feed from 13:30 BST.