PARIS, Aug. 30 (by EUROPA PRESS special correspondent Ramón Chamorro) –
The Spanish Paralympic Team will try to increase its medal haul on the second day of the Tokyo Paralympic Games, where track cycling and, above all, the swimming pool, promise the possible conquest of more medals, while, on the other hand, the men’s wheelchair basketball team will seek its first victory against Australia.
After the first day of competition saw three bronze medals for Ricardo Ten, Miguel Luque and Enrique Alhambra, Spain will once again rely on the Saint-Quentin-in-Yvelines velodrome and the Arena Le Défense to add to the excitement.
In track cycling there is one bet that seems quite safe, namely that of Alfonso Cabello from Cordoba, who will compete in the kilometre time trial in the C4-C5 class in search of defending the gold he won three years ago and also in London 2012. The Andalusian could experience another duel with the British Jody Cundy, who is in the C4 class of a race in which Pablo Jaramillo will also compete.
The pool will bring, as usual, many options, although one that seems almost certain is represented by a 16-year-old girl. Anastasiya Dmitryv will make her debut at the Paralympic Games this Friday and she will do so in her favourite event, the 100m breaststroke SB8, where she has won the last two world titles and is also the European champion, which makes her one of the favourites for what could be the first gold for the Spanish Team in Paris 2024.
The Andalusian will be accompanied in this event by Nuria Marquès and will lead the options that may also include Enrique Alhambra, who will have the difficult mission of repeating his bronze in the 100 butterfly in the 100 backstroke where he was third in the last World Championship, or Óscar Salguero in the 100-meter breaststroke S8, where he already won the world title in 2022 and was fourth in 2023.
Athletics will also be in action with Alba García and Joan Munar in the T11 long jump class for visually impaired athletes, and wheelchair tennis at Roland Garros with Enrique Siscar trying to join Martín de la Puente and Dani Caverzaschi in the second round, for which he must beat the Chinese Zhenxu Ji. Other sports making their debut are rowing with Javier García in the scull and the mixed coxless four, and Olympic shooting with Fernando Michelena (R4 – Mixed 10m Air Rifle standing SH2).
In archery, Fernando Galé will begin the knockout phase in the compound event in the round of 32 against American Kevin Polish. In boccia, Amagoia Arrieta will make his debut in BC1 and Sara Aller and Vasili Agache will play their third and second match respectively in BC4.
Finally, in team sports, the men’s wheelchair basketball team will seek to carry over the good feelings they had in their defeat against the all-powerful United States in their second match in Paris 2024 against Australia, while the women’s team will have another difficult match against China, current world and Paralympic runners-up.