Alexa Leary stuns with golden anchor leg, Lauren Parker's huge triathlon win: What you missed of Paralympics while you were sleeping
PARIS: An instantly legendary Alexa Leary anchor swim, a mammoth triathlon win, a medal-winning Steelers display and double boccia silver made for a spectacular fifth day of Paralympic competition.
Here's what you missed of the Paris Games while you were sleeping.
Alexa Leary's golden anchor leg
The Sunshine Coast product, a 23-year-old woman who's endeared herself to thousands with her exceptional ability in the pool, remarkable survival story and wicked personality, produced a staggering anchor leg to steal relay gold.
In the final of the mixed 4x100m medley relay (34 points), Australia was placed fourth and trailing the first-placed Dutch by 6.28 seconds when "Lex" Leary dived in.
But in a heroic 100m blitz at the Paris La Defense Arena, the young sensation swam over the top of every swimmer in front of her and touched the wall almost a full second in front of the anchoring Dutchwoman.
An Australian team featuring Jesse Aungles, Timothy Hodge, Emily Beecroft and Leary posted a time of 4:27.08 to shatter the Paralympic record.
Leary and her teammates were delirious in celebration as her parents swelled with emotion in the stands.
Watch every moment, every medal of the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 live and free on Channel 9, 9Gem and 9Now. Plus, every event streaming ad free, live and on demand with 4K on Stan Sport.
Lauren Parker's mega triathlon triumph
Three years after falling short of gold by a single second in a pulsating sprint finish with the USA's Kendall Gretsch, Australian triathlete Lauren Parker found redemption in a crushing victory.
The 35-year-old Newcastle product completed the gruelling PTWC event, which features a 750m swim, 20km bike ride and five-kilometre run, in a time of one hour, six minutes, 23 seconds (1:06.23).
Her closest competitor, Tokyo gold medallist Gretsch, crossed the finish line a minute and 23 seconds later.
"I can't believe it, a dream come true today," Parker said on Nine's coverage.
"... I've had the goal of getting the gold medal here in Paris ever since Tokyo. Every single session I've been putting myself through in training I've had that vision, and I can't believe I've done that today."
In 2017, Parker's life changed in a major way on a training ride as a professional triathlete.
Her tyres ran over screws on a road and burst, catapulting her into a guard rail at 45km/h.
She broke a shoulder, suffered broken ribs, punctured a lung, broke her pelvis, broke her back and did severe spinal cod damage.
She was instantly paralysed from the waist down.
"Laying in that hospital bed back in 2017, a life-changing accident," Parker said, "I never thought I'd be able to get back into sport, let alone compete at the Paralympic Games and win a gold medal."
Watch every moment, every medal of the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 live and free on Channel 9, 9Gem and 9Now. Plus, every event streaming ad free, live and on demand with 4K on Stan Sport.
Steelers capture bronze
The Australian wheelchair rugby team, the Steelers, put the heartbreak of their Paris semi-final loss behind them in a 50-48 defeat of Great Britain, clinching bronze.
"It's good, it's very good, but a bit bittersweet," Steelers veteran Ryley Batt said on the Nine broadcast.
"We probably should be playing tonight in the final, but unfortunately those little errors in the semi [cost us].
"It was bloody hard to sleep last night. That game kept playing in my head, but it was good for the guys and girls to bounce back.
"We were pretty down — I know I was struggling a lot."
Double boccia silver on historic night
Australia's Daniel Michel and Jamieson Leeson both won individual silver in boccia — and the latter's achievement was history.
Michel won bronze at the Tokyo Games and went one medal better in a clash with South Korea's Jeong Ho-won, who grabbed gold with a 5-2 victory.
Just before Michel took to the court, Leeson had secured silver in a match against Hong Kong's Ho Yuen-kei, who took gold with a 4-2 triumph.
Aussie javelin medallist's disappointment
Australian javelin star Michal Burian admitted he was disappointed with his efforts despite winning a Paralympic medal.
Burian won a bronze medal in the men's F64, backing up from his silver-winning throw in Tokyo three years ago.
Burian hurled the javelin 64.89 metres but fell shy of gold medallist Sumit (70.59m) and silver medallist Dulan Kodithuwakku (67.03m).
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