<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>328224</docID> <postdate>2024-09-03 09:05:26</postdate> <headline>Triathlon gold completes Parker’s Paralympic redemption</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-328226" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/20240902193249345286-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>Lauren Parker in action during the Para Triathlon, as part of the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, at Pont Alexandre III in Paris, France, Monday, September 2, 2024. (AAP Image/ Delly Carr via Sport the Library/Paralympics Australia) NO ARCHIVING</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>George Clarke</strong> in Paris</span></p> <p><strong>Lauren Parker's bid to become Australia's first dual-sport Paralympic medallist in more than 40 years is alive after she buried the pain of Tokyo to win the gold medal in the PTWC triathlon.</strong></p> <p>Parker crossed the line one minute 23 seconds ahead of American rival Kendall Gretsch, who had beaten her by one second in Japan, kickstarting a haul of seven medals won by Australia on Monday.</p> <p>The other gold on day five of the Paris Paralympics came in the pool in the 34-point 4x100m medley relay with Alexa Leary powering Australia to first place ahead of the Netherlands.</p> <p>Australia's boccia team also picked up two singles medals.</p> <p><span style="color: #800000;"><strong>AUSTRALIAN MEDALS</strong></span></p> <p><strong>GOLD</strong></p> <p>Lauren Parker, (triathlon, women's PTWC) – Parker's redemption story is complete. She has been tortured by her one-second loss to Kendall Gretsch in Tokyo and exacted revenge on the American in style.</p> <p>Alexa Leary, Jesse Aungles, Tim Hodge, Emily Beecroft (34-point mixed 4x100m medley) - Trailing by more than six seconds with 100m to go, Leary jumped into the pool and produced the race of her career to run down Netherlands and capture gold.</p> <p><strong>SILVER</strong></p> <p>Jake Michel (swimming, men's 100m breaststroke S14) - Michel saw off world record holder Japan's Naohide Yamaguchi in the final 20 metres, but so did Canada's Nicholas Bennett, who finished just ahead of the Australian to claim gold.</p> <p>Jamieson Leeson (boccia, women's individual BC3) - A gallant effort from Leeson, who became Australia's first female boccia medallist. The 21-year-old lost 4-2 in a tight match to Hong Kong's Ho Yuen Kei.</p> <p>Dan Michel (boccia, men's individual BC3)- Slow start allowed Korean favourite Howon Jeong to prevail 5-2. Michel, who won bronze in Tokyo, will aim to claim gold when he and Leeson team up in the doubles.</p> <p><strong>BRONZE</strong></p> <p>Wheelchair rugby team - After uncharacteristic errors from Ryley Batt denied them a chance to compete in the gold medal match, the Steelers bounced back to claim bronze by defeating Great Britain 50-48.</p> <p>Michael Burian (athletics, men's F64 javelin) - Burian threw 64.89m - a season's best - but it was not enough to prevent India's Sumit Antil from defending his gold medal crown as he set a Paralympic record of 70.59.</p> <h3><span style="color: #800000;"><strong>WHAT ELSE HAPPENED?</strong></span></h3> <ul> <li>Athletics - Telaya Blacksmith set an Australian record in the T20 400m to qualify for the final. The 16-year-old clocked a time of 57.96sec.</p> </li> <li> <p>Archery - Australia's mixed compound team of Ameera Lee and Jonathan Milne were bundled out at the quarter-final stage, falling to a 150-141 defeat at the hands of Great Britain.</p> </li> <li> <p>Table tennis - Fresh off winning the doubles gold medal, Australia's Qian Yang is through to the semi-final of the S10 singles after brushing aside Taiwan's Tzu Yu Lin in three straight sets.</p> </li> </ul> <h3><strong><span style="color: #800000;">WHO SAID WHAT?</span></strong></h3> <p>"I'll be 46 if I go to Brisbane. I'm already the oldest in the team, but I won't rule Brisbane out, that's my home city." - Steelers skipper Chris Bond is teasing that his Paralympics career does not end here after he captained Australia to the bronze medal.</p> <p>"From today I don't want to hear anything more about discrimination, prejudices against transgender people" - Italian runner Valentina Petrillo after qualifying for the women's T12 400m semi-final. Petrillo, who is visually impaired, transitioned in 2019 after previously winning men's national titles. She subsequently failed to make the final.</p> <h3><span style="color: #800000;">MEDAL TABLE (after day five)</span></h3> <ol> <li> <p>China - Gold: 43, Silver: 30, Bronze 14. Total: 87.</p> </li> <li> <p>Great Britain - Gold: 29, Silver: 14, Bronze 10. Total: 53.</p> </li> <li> <p>USA - Gold: 13, Silver: 19, Bronze 10. Total: 42.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brazil - Gold: 12, Silver: 8, Bronze 17. Total: 37.</p> </li> <li> <p>France - Gold: 10, Silver: 10, Bronze 13. Total: 33.</p> </li> <li> <p>Australia - Gold: 8, Silver: 9, Bronze 12. Total: 29.</p> </li> </ol> </body>