Judo heavyweights Ukraine claimed a gold and two bronze medals on the opening day of competition at the Paralympics in Paris on Thursday.
Nataliya Nikolaychuk, 37, won the women’s -48kg J1 for athletes with partial sight title having had to settle for bronze in the Tokyo Games three years ago and at London 2012.
Bronze medals for Anzhela Havrysiuk in the women’s -57kg J1 class and Davyd Khorava in the men’s -60kg J2 for blind athletes completed the impressive opening display for Ukraine.
The country’s record para judo medal display came with one gold and three silvers and bronze in Rio 2016.
“It means a lot because I had a hard path to this gold medal. I still can’t explain what I am feeling,” Nikolaychuk said.
“This is the best result we’ve had, after so many years of hard work.
“I did my best in the fight today. I will keep fighting and doing my best for the next few years,” she added.
China’s impressive results of gold in the women’s -57kg J1 for Shi Yijie and bronze for Li Liqing in the women’s -48kg J2 contributed to them staying well ahead in the overall medal table.
Algeria’s Abdelkader Bouamer won gold in the men’s 60kg J1, in his Paralympic debut at the age of 41..
“It’s a great joy,” Bouamer told AFP. “Age is just a number, I trained a lot, the Paralympics are not like a world championships, they’re extraordinary,” he added.
The biggest cheer of the session was to welcome Frenchwoman Sandrine Martinet to the mat but she was beaten in the –48kg J2 by Kazakhstan’s Akmaral Nauatbek.
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The scenes at the Champ de Mars Arena approached the fervour during the Olympics when Teddy Riner’s fifth gold medal capped an outstanding showing for the home nation’s judokas.
“You’re always disappointed to lose a final but I’m proud of this medal,” Martinet told reporters.
“The crowd was extraordinary. Even if it was a defeat, it was a marvellous moment,” she added.
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