New Zealand sprinters Will Stedman and Anna Grimaldi burned up the track to ignite Day 6 of the Paris Paralympics.
Stedman, NZ Paralympian No 208, claimed silver in the men's 400m T36 and Grimaldi, NZ Paralympian No 195, earned bronze in the women's 100m T47 at Stade de France on Tuesday (Wednesday NZ Time).
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Competing just under 16 hours after finishing fourth in the men's long jump T36, Stedman obliterated his national record by 0.44 seconds, finishing in a time of 52.92 seconds behind Australian James Turner, who set a new world record of 51.54.
For 24-year-old Stedman, it was the fifth Paralympics medal of his career and a third successive Paralympics medal in the men’s 400m T36, after claiming bronze medals at both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
Slated for a near-high noon one-lap showdown inside Stade de France, Stedman, who claimed the gold medal in the event at the 2024 Para Athletics World Championships in Kobe, Japan in May, was up against formidable opposition in Turner, the defending champion.
It was the Australian who made the quicker start and by halfway held a decisive lead, with Stedman opting a little way back in second over the first 200m.
The Kiwi, however, started to make his move around the final bend and entered the home straight in a clear second place. While Turner further stretched his advantage in the latter stages and could not be caught, Stedman consolidated his placing.
“I only got three-and-a-hours sleep last night (following his long jump final) and I was worried about that but as I warmed up, I got a good feeling. I ran a good first half of the race and then I felt good around the bend and pushed it hard," said an elated Stedman.
"With 50 metres to go I had nothing in the legs, I was trying to hold on and I almost tripped over a couple of times. To run 52.92 – a 0.44 PB is crazy. I knew I could run well today, but I didn’t think I would do that well given the sleep I had. I’m over the moon with that performance.
“It means a lot to me, especially as a lot of other athletes in the field ran well today. I had to run well to get the silver. This year I’ve improved my 400m PB by quite a bit. It is cool to see the hard work I’ve put in over the past three years pay off.”
Stedman, who competes in the men’s 100m T36 on Saturday, said he plans to eat some ice cream in the Village and then rest up ahead of his final event at Paris 2024.
Born with Cerebral palsy, Stedman was inspired to become a Paralympian after watching the 2012 London Paralympics.
Shortly after he joined his local athletics club and he started out as middle and long-distance runner. Attending several Paralympics NZ Para athletics development camps in 2015, he made his international debut and at the age of 16 he claimed men’s 400m T36 and men’s 800m T36 bronze medals at the Rio Paralympics.
At Tokyo 2020, Stedman harvested men's long jump T36 silver and men’s 400m T36 bronze and has maintained his reputation as a regular winner of medals on the global stage over the past three years.
Meanwhile, in the evening session, Grimaldi lowered the Oceania record for the second time on Tuesday by blitzing to 12.20 seconds in the final, taking the NZ Paralympic Team medal tally at Paris 2024 to five medals, with three silver and two bronze.
Grimaldi, the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 women’s long jump T47 champion, has in more recent years developed into a world-class sprinter, as evidenced by back-to-back bronze medal successes at the Paris 2023 and Kobe 2024 Para Athletics World Championships.
Facing a formidable field, she laid down a marker in the first round heats by slicing 0.08 from her personal-best to lower the Oceania record and place third in her heat with a dazzling performance.
In the final, she got away to a solid start while the trio of Venezuelan Lisbeli Marina Vera Andrade, American Brittni Mason and Ecuadorian Kiara Rodriguez established control of the race and occupied the three medal positions.
However, with around 20 metres remaining, Vera Andrade, the fastest qualifier, dramatically slowed and crashed to the track allowing the fast-finishing Grimaldi to power home to the bronze medal.
For Grimaldi, it represented a stunning start to her Paris 2024 campaign, which includes the defence of the women’s long jump T47 title on Friday and later in the programme an appearance in the women’s 200m T47.
“I was really nervous this morning, but the heat really instilled confidence in me. I didn’t have the best start (in the heat) but I kept accelerating and I got close to athletes I look up to,” said a jubliant Grimaldi.
“This evening, I knew where I needed to put my energy into the race, I think I got a better start. I would have loved another 20 metres because I think I would have caught another athlete. The 100 metres is a race I still feel like I’m finding my feet. It is scary because it is one and done and not like the long jump where you get six rounds. I am so proud.”
A third New Zealand sprinter hit the starting blocks on Tuesday in Paris, with NZ Paralympian No 224 Anna Steven matching her performance from Tokyo 2020 by placing eighth in the women’s 200m T64.
After the 24-year-old Aucklander set a season-best of 29.13 to place fourth in her heat and advance to the final as one of two athletes on time, she posted a mark of 29.37 in the medal race.
New Zealand achieved seventh and eighth place finishes in the pool as the Para swimmers performed with pride at the Paris La Defense Arena.
Competing in his third successive men’s backstroke S9 final, NZ Paralympian No 205 Jesse Reynolds placed seventh, registering a time of 1 minute 04.89 seconds in a top-quality race.
Qualifying fifth fastest for the final after recording a heat time of 1:04.53, the 27-year-old Hamilton-based athlete made a solid start in the medal race, hitting the 50m turn in seventh spot. Reynolds could not improve on his position in the second half of the race to follow up on his sixth place at Tokyo 2020 and seventh at Rio 2016.
Three-time Paralympic champion Cameron Leslie, competing in his second final at Paris 2024, finished eighth in the men’s 200m freestyle S4 in 3:06.84.
The 34-year-old Whangarei-based swimmer, competing in his second of four events on the programme, hit the 50m turn in seventh before slipping to eighth by halfway. Leslie found the second half of the race a tough assignment, earlier recording a slightly quicker time of 3:06.18 in qualification.
Leslie next competes on Friday in the men’s 50m freestyle S4.
The third Kiwi Para swimmer in action on Tuesday, teen Lili-Fox Mason, came within 0.04 of her personal-best in the heats of the women’s 100m butterfly S10 in her Paralympic debut.
In an event where the world record is still held by NZ Paralympian No 166 Sophie Pascoe, the 19-year-old Christchurch-based athlete acquitted herself well to record 1:12.44 and finish seventh in heat two.
Mason’s mark was not quick enough to book her ticket for the final, but the 19-year-old Cantabrian will take confidence from the performance leading into the Women’s 400m Freestyle S10 heats on Thursday (5 September).
On a busy Day 7 of action at Paris 2024 on Wednesday for the NZ Paralympic Team, eight Kiwis will compete.
Four New Zealand Para cyclists compete on the road, including Anna Taylor (women's C4 individual time trial) and Nicole Murray (women's C5 individual time trial), who will both be hunting their second medals in the French capital.
Devon Briggs competes in the men’s C3 individual time trial, while hand cyclist Rory Mead makes his first appearance in Paris in the men’s H2 individual time trial.
Inside Stade de France, Holly Robinson opens her account at her fourth Paralympics in the women's shot put F46, and Danielle Aitchison, off the back of her silver medal performance in the women's 200m T36, races in the women's 100m T36.
Louise Duncan (para equestrian) makes her Paralympic debut in the dressage individual grade IV para grand prix test on her mount Showcase, at Chateau de Versailles, and para shooting legend Michael Johnson makes his third and final appearance in Paris in the R9 mixed 50m rilfe prone SH2.