Welsh Para-athletes enjoy best medal haul in 20 years

As nan curtain falls connected Paris 2024, Welsh Paralympians are celebrating their champion badge haul successful 20 years.

Wales sent a contingent of 22 Para-athletes to nan Games pinch Great Britain and 14 returned pinch medals astir their necks.

There were 16 medals successful full - 7 golds, 5 silvers and 4 bronzes - crossed 10 different sports.

That is nan astir medals since Athens 2004 erstwhile Welsh athletes earned 22.

It is besides nan champion Welsh capacity astatine a Paralympic Games since Beijing 2008, erstwhile 10 golds were won arsenic portion of a 14-medal total.

The youngest victor successful Paris was 17-year-old swimmer Rhys Darbey, who won golden and silver, and nan oldest was 40-year-old array tennis subordinate Rob Davies, who won silver.

GOLD

Matt Bush (Para taekwondo – men’s K44 +80kg)

Ben Pritchard (Para-rowing – PR1 men’s singles sculls)

James Ball and Steffan Lloyd (Para-cycling – Men’s B 1000m clip trial)

Sabrina Fortune (Para-athletics – women’s F20 changeable put)

Rhys Darbey (Para-swimming – mixed S14 4x100m freestyle relay)

Jodie Grinham (Para-archery – mixed squad compound open)

Laura Sugar (Para canoe – women’s kayak singles KL3 200m)

SILVER

Rhys Darbey (Para-swimming – men’s SM14 200m individual medley)

Rob Davies (Para array tennis – men’s singles MS1)

Georgia Wilson (Para equestrian – people II individual freestyle)

Aled Sion Davies (Para athletics – men’s F63 changeable put)

Phil Pratt (wheelchair hoops men’s team)

BRONZE

Paul Karabardak (Para array tennis – men’s doubles MD14)

Jodie Grinham (Para-archery – women’s individual compound)

Georgia Wilson (Para-equestrian – individual arena people II)

Hollie Arnold (Para athletics – women’s F46 javelin)

The first play of nan Games will agelong spell down successful nan representation of Welsh sport, pinch 5 athletes topping nan podium successful little than 24 hours.

Matt Bush began nan golden unreserved and made a small spot of history on nan measurement successful becoming nan first antheral to triumph Para-taekwondo gold for Great Britain.

It proved to beryllium 3rd clip fortunate for nan 35-year-old aft wounded had ruled him retired of competing successful Rio and Tokyo.

Ben Pritchard rowed his measurement to victory nan pursuing morning, nan Mumbles azygous sculler convincingly beating nan reigning champion and long-time rival Roman Polianskyi of Ukraine.

Pritchard, who vanished 5th successful Tokyo, won by much than 10 seconds.

Meanwhile connected nan last time of action successful nan velodrome, James Ball claimed nan biggest win of his cycling career.

He hit team-mate Neil Fachie successful nan clip trial, pinch Ball having vanished 2nd to nan Scot successful Tokyo 3 years ago.

Ball was helped to nan title by his pilot, and chap Welshman, Steffan Lloyd.

Over successful nan athletics, Sabrina Fortune claimed gold successful nan changeable put.

The 27-year-old won bronze successful Rio arsenic a teenager, but wounded meant she could only negociate 5th successful Tokyo.

Since past she has claimed 2 world titles, and doubly collapsed nan world grounds connected her measurement to triumph successful Paris.

Swimmer Rhys Darbey completed nan aureate play and did it successful style.

He won golden connected his first ever Paralympic race, nan 4x100m freestyle relay, and remarkably did truthful pinch 3 chap teenagers.

Two further golds would travel later successful nan Games and fewer much memorable than Jodie Grinham successful nan Para-archery. She won nan mixed squad title pinch Nathan Macqueen, but her Champagne will person to beryllium connected crystal arsenic she competed while 7 months pregnant.

Laura Sugar had to beryllium diligent for her changeable astatine gold, but did it successful style connected nan last day.

The 33-year-old not only retained her singles kayak title from Tokyo, but group a caller Paralympic grounds conscionable for bully measure.

While location was elation for some, location was disappointment for different athletes, specified is nan quality of sport.

Aled Sion Davies had gone to Paris astatine nan basking favourite having group a caller changeable put world grounds successful May this year, but nan 33-year-old had to settee for metallic aft what he called a “massive underperformance” successful nan final.

Fellow way jock Olivia Breen besides near nan games disappointed.

After winning 100m Commonwealth gold, Breen missed retired connected nan last aft finishing ninth overall.

Medal hopes past transferred to nan agelong jump, but nan 28-year-old was pipped to nan bronze badge by nan tightest of margins.

Breen had jumped nan aforesaid region arsenic nan third-placed competitor, but her 2nd champion jump had not been arsenic long.

Three-time Paralympics boccia champion David Smith besides had hopes of adding to his haul, but he was beaten successful nan individual bronze badge lucifer and besides grounded to triumph a badge successful nan squad event.

The 35-year-old said afterwards that he had "just ran retired of gas".

The Games must, however, beryllium viewed arsenic a roaring occurrence for Welsh athletes and ParalympicsGB arsenic a whole.

They ended their 2024 Paralympics pinch a full of 124 medals, including 49 golds.

Only China, pinch 94 golds and 219 full medals, won much during nan 11-day event.

The last Welsh honour successful Paris falls to Matt Bush, who was fixed nan task of being Great Britain's emblem bearer alongside para-swimmer Poppy Maskill.

The ceremonial astatine Stade de France starts astatine at 19:30 BST.