Sport
4 September, 2024
Shining with Para-medals
Following the Paris Paralympic Games kicking off on August 28, swimmers Brenden Hall and Lakeisha Patterson have both bagged a medal each, with more races to come.
Moreton Bay’s Brenden Hall won a bronze medal in the 400m freestyle S9 event and will compete in the heat for the 100m backstroke S9 at 5:42 pm (September 3).
He will then compete in the heat for the 100m butterfly S9 on September 6.
Brenden is no stranger to medals, having won a gold, silver, and bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Games.
Caboolture’s Lakeisha, aka Lucky, won a silver medal in the 400m freestyle S9 on August 30.
She will swim on September 4 in the 100m freestyle S9 heat and on September 5 in the 200m medley SM9 heat.
Lucky’s first Paralympic Games was the 2016 Rio Games, where she won two gold medals, three silvers, and one bronze.
This was a particularly proud achievement, as she won Australia’s first gold medal at the Rio Games, where she set her first world record in the 400m freestyle S8 event. Then, at the Tokyo 2020 Games, she won one gold medal.
Morayfield local and Paralympic swimmer Ricky Betar finished fifth in the 200m freestyle S14 heat on August 31.
On September 4, Ricky will swim in the 200m medley SM14 heat, and on September 6, he will compete in the 100m backstroke S14 heat.
The Australian Paralympic team has had great success at the Paris Games so far, currently sitting sixth in the medal tally.
Australia has won eight gold, nine silver, and 12 bronze medals, with swimmer Thomas Gallagher and cyclist Korey Boddington winning a gold and bronze medal each.