PARIS, 1 Sep. (by EUROPA PRESS special correspondent Ramón Chamorro) –
Triathlon will be the star of the show on Sunday during the fourth day of competition for the Spanish delegation at the Paralympic Games in Paris, with many chances of winning medals as it did three years ago in Tokyo, on a day where track cycling, athletics, swimming and shooting could bring joy.
The triathlon won four medals in the Japanese capital and is now presented with a larger team of 14 athletes, led by Susana Rodríguez, champion in 2021. The Galician is one of the favourites in the visually impaired category and she is joined by two other very serious options such as, above all, Dani Molina (PTS3), and Marta Francés (PTS4).
Other medallists from Tokyo are also in Paris, such as Héctor Catalá, silver in PTVI, and Alejandro Sánchez Palomero (PTS4) and Eva Moral (wheelchair), who were bronze medallists. The team is completed by José Luis García, who is returning, Jairo Ruiz, in his third and final Paralympic event, Rakel Mateo (PTS2), also present in 2021, and the debutants Lionel Morales (PTS2), Nil Riudavets (PTS4), Andrea Miguélez (PTS5) and Diego Lardón (PTS3).
In addition to the triathlon, which is still unknown due to the rain that fell in Paris and whether swimming will be possible in the River Seine, there will be options at the Stada de France, mainly with Sara Martínez in the F12 length where she won silver in Tokyo, in the pool, with Toni Ponce in the 100 breaststroke S5, where he was also Paralympic runner-up in Tokyo, and in the velodrome with the speed team made up of Alfonso Cabello, Ricardo Ten and Pablo Jaramillo, who will fight for the podium he reached in Tokyo 2020.
Juan Antonio Saavedra, a medallist in London and the Japanese capital, will make his shooting debut, although in R3-Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1, while Fernando Michelena will also compete in R5-Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH2.
In addition, Martín de la Puente and Dani Caverzaschi will begin their journey in the singles and doubles of wheelchair tennis, and in table tennis, José Manuel Ruiz and Eder Rodríguez will be the first to begin their journey in the singles. Javier García, in sculls, and the mixed coxed four will end their participation in rowing with their respective B Finals.
Finally, in team sport, the Spanish men’s wheelchair basketball team will seek its second victory against the Netherlands (6:15 p.m.), while the women’s team will try to surprise (9:30 p.m.) a Canada that already won last April in the Olympic Preparatory Tournament.