<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>328398</docID> <postdate>2024-09-05 07:50:31</postdate> <headline>Aussie archer gains instant cult hero status in Paris</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-328399" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/20240830139779215257-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>Australian para-archer Taymon Kenton-Smith has won hearts and mind, if not gold, in Paris. (Adrian Dennis for OIS/IOC/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>George Clarke</strong> in Paris</span></p> <p><strong>He might not have won a medal but Taymon Kenton-Smith stole the show for Australia as the para-archer made a surprise dash to fourth place in Paris.</strong></p> <p>Here's how Australia fared on day seven of the 2024 Paris Paralympics.</p> <h3><span style="color: #800000;"><strong>AUSTRALIAN MEDALS</strong></span></h3> <p><strong>GOLD</strong></p> <p>Alexa Leary (swimming, women's 100m freestyle, S9) - One of the richest redemption stories keeps getting richer. Leary smashed a world record she had set earlier in the day to career home and win her second gold medal of her debut Games.</p> <p>Yang Qian (table tennis, women's singles S10) - The Chinese-born table tennis player is a woman of few words but of many medals. Defending her Tokyo crown, the 28-year-old emerged with a 3-0 win over Natalia Partyka.</p> <p><strong>SILVER</strong></p> <p>Lauren Parker (cycling, women's H1-3 individual time trial) - Chasing an historic gold double after her triathlon triumph, Parker went desperately close to finishing first. She finished just 9.50 seconds behind American winner Katerina Brim.</p> <p>Meg Lemon (cycling, women's C4 individual time trial) - After winning bronze in Tokyo, the 34-year-old went one better but was unable to reel in Samantha Bosco of the USA.</p> <p>Alistair Donohoe (cycling, men's C5 individual time trial) - Donohoe won silver at Rio and bronze in Tokyo but he couldn't better them against Dutch racer Daniel Abraham, who finished 26.87 seconds ahead of the Australian.</p> <p><strong>BRONZE</strong></p> <p>Alana Forster (cycling, women's C5 individual time trial) - A triumphant first Paralympic medal for the Victorian, who two years ago was in emergency care after being involved in a near-fatal car crash.</p> <p>Darren Hicks (cycling, men's C2 individual time trial) - Hicks, who won gold at Tokyo, went close to retaining his crown but he finished 15.63 seconds off an inspired showing from eventual winner Alexandre Leaute of France.</p> <p>Ricky Betar (swimming, men's 200m individual medley S14) - The 20-year-old looked to have a strong chance of picking up a gold medal when he led the race through the first 100m. But Canada's Nicholas Bennett and Great Britain's Rhys Darbey finished strongly to place ahead of him.</p> <p>Grant Patterson (swimming, men's 50m breaststroke, SB2) - A fourth Paralympic medal for the colourful and endearing 35-year-old who made a late move to finish in third. Patterson declared after his race he wanted to keep competing until Brisbane 2032.</p> <h3><span style="color: #800000;"><strong>WHAT ELSE HAPPENED?</strong></span></h3> <ul> <li>Athletics - Sprinter Mali Lovell secured a place in the 100m T36 final by setting a personal best of 14.57sec, but the 20-year-old was well beaten as she finished fifth in the final.</p> </li> <li> <p>Archery - Taymon Kenton-Smith turned heads on Wednesday in the men's individual recurve as he went on a giantkilling run. Boasting green and gold dyed hair and a feather in his cap, the Queenslander knocked over Mexico's world No. 1 Samuel Molina and world No. 4 Jun Gan of China before losing his semi-final and the bronze medal match to place fourth overall.</p> </li> </ul> <p>*Boccia - Australia's top mixed pairing of Jamieson Leeson and Dan Michel failed to overcome a slow start against South Korea and fell to a 4-2 in their doubles quarter-final.</p> <p>*Wheelchair basketball - Less than 18 hours after losing their quarter-final to Great Britain, the Rollers were back in action in their classification match, claiming a 78-74 win over Spain.</p> <h3><strong><span style="color: #800000;">WHO SAID WHAT? </span></strong></h3> <p>"I didn't come here for silver. If I was a vampire, the amount of silvers I've got, I'd be dead." - Alistair Donohoe after his second-place finish in his individual time trial.</p> <p>"We copped a lot of s*** in his younger years, so to see him now — winning a medal — stuff youse all. On ya Ricky." - Ricky Betar's father, Drew, beaming with pride after his son's third-place finish.</p> <h3><span style="color: #800000;"><strong>MEDAL TABLE (after day seven) </strong></span></h3> <ol> <li> <p>China - Gold: 62, Silver: 46, Bronze 27. Total: 135.</p> </li> <li> <p>Great Britain - Gold: 33, Silver: 25, Bronze 16. Total: 74.</p> </li> <li> <p>USA - Gold: 25, Silver: 26, Bronze 12. Total: 63.</p> </li> <li> <p>Netherlands - Gold: 16, Silver: 7, Bronze 5. Total: 28.</p> </li> </ol> <hr /> <ol> <li>Australia - Gold: 11, Silver: 12, Bronze 18. Total: 41.</li> </ol> </body>