New Zealand’s Anna Grimaldi has won the country’s first gold medal at the Paris Paralympics, storming to victory in the 200m T47 final.
The 27-year-old long jumper, who was disappointed after missing a medal in her favourite event by just one centimetre, redeemed herself with a stunning performance. Grimaldi clocked 24.72 seconds, setting a new Oceania record, and finished ahead of American Brittni Mason.
Grimaldi, who was born without a right hand, rarely competes in the 200m at international level but made the most of her last chance in Paris. She had earlier won bronze in the 100m but was determined to add gold to her collection after narrowly missing out in her main event.
In other results, Cam Leslie finished fourth in the S4 50m backstroke final after qualifying second, while kayaker Scott Martlew also placed sixth in his medal race after winning his heat.
Will Stedman set a personal best in the T36 100m final, finishing sixth, and Mitch Joynt took sixth place in the T64 200m final. The New Zealand team showed resilience across the events, with many athletes achieving personal bests despite missing the podium.
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