- Competing duos vying for the gold medal in table tennis at the Paralympic Games
The table tennis doubles squad of Stephanie Grebe and Juliane Wolf are vying for gold at the Paralympics. They triumphantly ousted Norway's preferred pair of Merethe Tveiten and Aida Husic Dahlen in a gripping contest 3-2 in Paris, and they'll fight for gold against China's Huang Wenjuan and Jin Yucheng in the final on Friday (8:00 PM).
Earlier, the wheelchair basketball team stumbled in Paris. Michael Engel's group succumbed to Britain, who share the title of favorite, with a score of 55-76 (25-32). Matthias Guentner clinched the top scorer title with 19 points, yet the defeat couldn't be averted.
Swimmer Elena Schott endured a setback, placing 6th in her heat and missing the final in the 50m freestyle. However, Tanja Scholz capitalized on the opportunity, booking her slot in the final (8:46 PM) as the 8th fastest in the 200m freestyle. Scholz, aged 40, has outside chances of clinching the title in the final.
In all, 549 medal awards will be held in 22 sports in the French capital until September 8. The German Paralympic Committee expects to reclaim a top ten position in the medal chart, having secured the 12th position in Tokyo three years prior.
Despite their disappointing performance in wheelchair basketball, the German Paralympic team remains hopeful for success in other events. The table tennis doubles squad of Stephanie Grebe and Juliane Wolf are not only vying for gold at the Paralympics but will also be representing Germany in the final against China's Huang Wenjuan and Jin Yucheng on Friday.
