Unfortunately, even though the Indian contingent has in the past and is expected even in this edition of the games to do well and win a good haul of medals, there is little information made available about schedule of the Indian participants; nor are the Paralympics being broadcast in the country.
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CNN brings you the highlights of an action-packed opening day.
Gabidullina took almost a second off the previous world record in the S3 class, for athletes with amputations, no use of their legs or severe coordination difficulties.
The 44-year-old mother of four and visually impaired lawyer won three relay bronze medals during her career. And the emotion in the swimming arena on Thursday was intense.
The 2016 Paralympics too are faced with financial challenges due to desultory interest from the sponsors and poor ticket sales; as a result of which several events have had to be relocated and voluntary staff and transport facilities reduced.
Wrestlers were the first to enter the concert hall and take their seats in the first row, then came the soccer players and members of the national shooting team, archers, handball and volleyball teams, rowing and canoeing teams, horseraces, triathlon and fencing teams, cyclists, tennis players, power lifters, swimmers and track-and-field athletes.
Six-time gold medalist Clodoaldo Silva is competing in his last Paralympics, and Dias wants him to leave in style.
She competed in the 3-kilometer pursuit in cycling on an indoor track. “That”, she said, “was a freaking wonderful ride”. Others to watch include Britain’s wheelchair racer David Weir and China’s blind sprinter Liu Cuiqing.
The 28-year-old Rahman, disabled since birth, is aiming to become the first Paralympian to bench press 300kg.
“To go quicker than London after having my daughter Louisa is the icing on the cake”.
Ricardo Costa de Oliveira would deliver Brazil’s first gold medal of the 2016 Paralympics winning the T11 long jump, photo by Paulo Múmia/Rio 2016.
A final-round leap of 6.52m saw the home favourite pip Lex Gillette of the United States by eight centimetres.
Ukraine’s Ruslan Katyshev, the defending champion from London 2012, was unable to retain his title and claimed the bronze medal.
Meanwhile president of the Belarusian Paral-ympic Committee, Oleg Shepel said the Russian flag gesture at the opening ceremony at the Maracana Stadium here, was to express solidarity with the entire Russian Paralympic team, which was barred by IPC from taking part in the Games.
Banned from the games over state-run doping, these elite athletes took part in an alternative competition outside of Moscow instead.
Building on the momentum from Canada’s incredible performance at the Olympic Games, 35 million Canadians across the country will now be supporting Team Canada at the Paralympic Games.
Political statements are not permitted by the IPC and president Sir Philip Craven has staunchly defended the organization’s decision.
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Separately, UK Athletics will review classifications after the Games, according to BBC News, following concerns that athletes were being mismatched to create an unfair advantage.
