PARIS (AP) — Fatima Ezzahra El Idrissi of Morocco broke the world record for visually impaired runners in the women’s marathon on the final day of the Paralympic Games on Sunday.
Idrissi finished in 2 hours, 48 minutes and 36 seconds on Sunday, beating the previous record set by Japan’s Misato Michishita in Hofu City in December 2020 by nearly six minutes.
“I wasn’t racing for the time, just for the medal,” said the 29-year-old Moroccan. “I wasn’t going for the world record, just for the gold, and now I have both.”
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Her compatriot Meryem En-Nourhi came in second, just over 9 minutes behind, followed by Michishita, almost 15 minutes behind the winner.
Elena Congos thought she had won bronze, but the Spaniard was later disqualified for letting go of the rope that tied her to her guide, Mia Carol Bruguera, before the finish line.
Michishita learned she had won bronze after completing doping control.
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“I couldn’t believe it,” said the Japanese, who was injured while competing in the previous edition in Tokyo and feared she would not compete in Paris.
Tunisian Wajdi Boukhili won the men’s T12 marathon.
Boukhili, 25, finished in 2 hours, 22 minutes and 5 seconds ahead of Spaniard Alberto Suarez Laso and Moroccan El Amin Chentouf — the world record holder. All three recorded their best times of the season.
DEFEND THE GOLD
The Dutch women’s team defended their gold medal in wheelchair basketball by beating the United States 63-49 in the final.
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Bo Kramer contributed 23 points and Mariska Beiker 22 as the Dutch team shared their experience with the grateful fans who packed the Bercy Arena.
Trailing 48-37 heading into the fourth quarter, the Americans rallied to listen to coach Christian Schwab. Ixhelt Gonzalez gave them hope with two points on a break, but Kramer responded with two free throws and a three-pointer to underline the Dutch control.
“For us as a team, I don’t think we’ve reached the peak,” acknowledged Rose Hollermann, who had 17 points for the United States. “I think we still have a lot left in the tank. I never felt like we were in rhythm as a team, so I’m proud that we won silver.”
Hours earlier, Canada lost the bronze medal after falling to China 64-43.
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“I would like to go back two hours. I would like to restart the game,” said Canadian coach Michele Sung.
ANOTHER RECORD
Defending champion Folashade Oluwafemiayo of Nigeria twice surpassed her own record in the women’s Paralympic weightlifting by lifting 167 kilograms over her chest to win another gold in the women’s over 86 kilograms final.
Oluwafemiayo, 39, bettered his previous mark, which he set in Tbilisi, Georgia in June, by one kilogram by lifting 166 in round three. But he subsequently delighted the crowd at La Chapelle Arena by adding another kilogram to his record.
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Iran’s Ahmad Aminzadeh won the men’s 107kg+ final by lifting 263kg. This was the last of the 549 gold medals awarded at all Games.
CHINA, UNDISCUSSED LEADER OF THE MEDAL CHART
China won almost twice as many gold medals — 94 to Britain’s 49 — as any other nation at the Paris Paralympics.
In total, China took 220 medals (94 gold, 76 silver, 56 bronze) compared to second-placed Great Britain’s 124, followed by the United States in third with 105. The British total included 44 silver and 31 bronze, while the Americans had 36 gold, 42 silver and 26 bronze.
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Brazil finished fifth with 89 total medals, but finished below the Netherlands — which had 56 medals overall — in the medal table for total golds (27 to Brazil’s 25).
Host France finished eighth in the medal table with 19 golds and a total of 75 medals.
The closing ceremony will take place later in the evening and artistic director Thomas Jolly has promised it will be a big party at the Stade de France.
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