With grey skies but flat waters, the Paris 2024 Paralympic Regatta got underway with the heats across the five boat classes. While a thunderstorm caused a delay during the middle of racing, the session was completed with several Paralympic Best Times tumbling throughout the heats.

Fast start for Samuel

Racing got off to a fast start when Israel’s Moran Samuel led the first heat of the PR1 women’s single sculls from the start. Samuel took the single direct qualifying place direct to Sunday’s final and her performance was a new Paralympic Best Time, breaking 10 minutes for the first time at a Paralympic Games. Her performance was particularly good as she had missed out on the podium at last year’s World Rowing Championships. Just like the final at Tokyo 2020, Samuel finished ahead of France’s Nathalie Benoit, who will need to contest tomorrow’s repechage to earn her place in the final. The reigning Paralympic and World Champion, Birgit Skarstein of Norway led the second heat from the start but in the final stages of the race, she was overhauled by Ukraine’s Anna Sheremet, who took the single direct route to the final. Skarstein will have to race in the repechage tomorrow.

Another Paralympic Best Time

It wasn’t the fastest of starts for the reigning Paralympic and World Champion, Roman Polanskyi of Ukraine, but he soon got into the lead and controlled the race from the front. Polianskyi took the only direct qualification place for the final and, in doing so, secured a new Paralympic Best Time in the boat class. In the second heat, Great Britain’s Benjamin Pritchard absolutely flew off the start, keen to secure himself the single qualifying place. However, Italy’s Giacomo Perini and France’s Alexis Sanchez were on the chase and Perini soon gained control of the race. A fast third quarter from Pritchard allowed him to regain the lead by the final quarter of the race and he then led to the line. Pritchard crossed the line in a time of 8:51.26, further beating the Paralympic Best Time set by Polianskyi in the previous race.

Storm causes delay

After just four races, the course was cleared due to a thunderstorm with significant rainfall. Racing was postponed and eventually got underway again at 12:15 local time.

Paralympic Games and World Best Time in PR2 mixed double

After the delays, the heats of the PR2 mixed double sculls eventually got started. China’s Shuang Liu and Jijian Jiang, who won bronze at Tokyo 2020, got out fast and established the early lead, but they were being chased every stroke of the way by Israel’s Shahar Milfelder and Saleh Shahin. There were two boats to go directly to the final in this boat class, and it was those two that maintained the top positions, while the remainder would need to contest the repechages!

In the second semifinal, France’s Benjamin Daviet and Perle Bouge got out fast and established the early lead, but they were soon reeled in Great Britain’s reigning World Champions, Lauren Rowles and and Gregg Stevenson. While the French boat sat in second for most of the way, Poland’s Jolanta Majka and Michal Gadowski stole the second qualifying place in the closing stages! Great Britain’s time not only set a new Paralympic Best Time but also broke the World Best Time that they had set at last year’s World Rowing Championships – going under eight minutes for the first time, clocking 7:56.92.

New Paralympic boat class

Paris 2024 is the first time the PR3 mixed double scully has been included in the Paralympic Games programme. Australa’s Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager were the fastest out of the blocks and led the race all of the way to the line, looking well in control of the race. Being the Paralympic debut for this boat class, they had the benefit of setting a new (and the fastest!) Paralympic Best Time. They clocked 7:11.30. In the second heat, Germany’s Jan Helmich and Hermine Krumbein took the early lead and established a clear water lead, but then here came the British crew of Sam Murray and Annie Caddick. Into the third quarter, the German crew were coming under increased pressure from the British, then GB took the lead… and Germany got it right back in the closing stages, winning by less than a second a progressing directly to the A-Final on Sunday.

Can anyone beat GB?

All eyes were on Great Britain in the PR3 mixed coxed four. They are unbeaten since 2010, although there have, of course, been changes in the crew since then! As expected, the British crew got out quickest, and took control of the race – they had a clear water lead by halfway. Germany sat behind GB throughout and posed no threat. Great Britain’s time of 6:43.68 beat the Paralympic Games Best Time previously held by France and also their own World Best Time set last year. Rapid!

In the second heat, Australia took the early lead, but this race was far less clear than the first heat. France and the USA were both also well in the mix, going with Australia. There was definitely a race on for the two qualifying places! The USA quite soon took the lead and control of the race while Australia and France were going head-to-head for the all-important second place. It went all the way to the line with France eventually just narrowly taking second place, much to the delight of the home supporters!

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Daily Digest: Rapid Heats get Paris 2024 Paralympic Regatta underway!

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