Paris 2024 Paralympic Games: Preview to 3 September with Alex Portal, Ugo Didier, Natasha Baker and Marcel Hug in action
It’s the day Para equestrian fans have been waiting—Tuesday, 3 September, day six of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games with a full day of competition in the Individual event at Chateau de Versaille. Wheelchair fencing also gets underway at the Grand Palais, with four sabre gold medals up for grabs.
And it’s the final day of preliminary rounds in blind football as the final four matches will determine which teams advance into the Thursday, 5 September semi-finals.
Of course, there’s much more competition underway including Para swimming, Para table tennis, wheelchair basketball and tennis, Para athletics and more.
Top French athletes to watch
After a day without medals, the French Para swimming delegation will return to the Paris La Défense Arena pool this Tuesday with the goal of getting back on the podium. Those swimmers include Ugo Didier going for his second gold in the 100m backstroke S9, David Smétanine and Dimitri Granjux in the 200m freestyle S4, Laurent Chardard in the 50m butterfly S6, Solène Sache in the 50m backstroke S5 and Alex Portal looking to add a fourth medal in the 200m medley SM13.
In Para athletics, T47 long jumper Arnaud Assoumani will compete in his Paralympic final, while flag bearer Nantenin Keïta will take to the track in the T13 100m. During the evening, four other Frenchmen will compete in finals: Valentin Bertrand in the T37 long jump, Sone Luka Meissonnier in the F20 shot put, Charles-Antoine Kouakou in the T20 400m and Laure Ustaritz in the T37 400m.
At just 15 years old, Para athlete Marie Ngoussou Ngouyi will compete in the 100m T47 on the first Paralympic day of her young career.
In Para equestrian, Chiara Zenati will compete in her Para dressage Grade III event as will Aziza Benhami in Para classic archery Open.
And at the Stade Roland-Garros, the Open wheelchair tennis doubles team of Stéphane Houdet/Frédéric Cattanéo will play their quarter-final against the Brazilians Gustavo Carneiro Silva/Daniel Rodrigues.
Top events to watch
Para equestrian, staged at the legendary Chateau de Versaille, makes its Paralympic Games debut with medals in the individual grade I, II and III all up for grabs.
Team USA’s Roxanne Trunnell will look to defend her grade I title on new horse, Fan Tastico H, while Tokyo 2020 grade III silver-medallist Natasha Baker from Great Britain, will look to better her finish astride Dawn Chorus. (The defending gold medallist, Denmark's Tobias Joergensen and Jolene, will not compete after the mare developed travel sickness).
The iconic purple track at the Stade de France is also set to stage a day of ultra-fierce competition, with Switzerland's defending champion, Marcel Hug headlining the day as he attempts to win back-to-back gold medals in the men’s 1500m T54. In Tokyo, Hug clinched an incredible four gold medals, winning the 800m T54, 5000m T54 and marathon T54 on top of the metric mile.
American Para athlete Ezra Frech will look to add to his gold medal in men's 100m T63 as he competes in high jump T63, and Jaydin Blackwell is likewise looking to add to his 100m T38 gold with a top performance in the 400m T38. Also look for the Swiss Para athlete Manuela Schaer looking for her second gold, this time in the 1,500m T54.
3 September will also see the start of the Boccia mixed team and mixed pair competitions that will culminate with the gold medal matches on 5 September.
In wheelchair fencing, the men’s and women’s sabre category A and B champions will be crowned, with the competition taking place at yet another incredible venue, the Grand Palais.
How to watch the Paralympic Games Paris 2024
You can see the full schedule for 3 September on Olympics.com and follow all the action live on the Paralympic YouTube Channel and the International Paralympic Committee website (geo-blocking policies may apply).
For a full list of broadcasters click here.