- Dampens the German team's enthusiasm for the commencement of the Paralympics
Germany commenced the Paralympic Games in Paris with a loss for their wheelchair basketball team. Going up against perceived co-champs Great Britain, the squad led by Michael Engel suffered a 55-76 (25-32) defeat in front of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Matthias Günther emerged as the leading scorer with 19 points, yet failed to avert the initial setback.
The table tennis doubles team of Stephanie Grebe and Juliane Wolf clinched a medal with a 3:1 win over Morgan Caillaud and Lucie Hautière from France. The twosome will square off against powerhouse favorites Merethe Tveiten and Aida Husic Dahlen from Norway in the semis later today (6:30 PM).
Grebe encountered problems with her paddle. After a quick paddle examination prior to the match, the 36-year-old was compelled to swap her gear due to excessive long pimples and contest with her alternative paddle. The match initiated with a 15-minute hold-up as Grebe fixed her second paddle onto her prosthesis. "Propably the most exciting moment," she quipped humbly.
Wheelchair bound swimmer Elena Schott encountered a setback, finishing sixth in her heat and abandoning the final in the 50m freestyle. Meanwhile, wheelchair bound Tanja Scholz qualified for the final (8:46 PM) in the 200m freestyle, however her chances are seen as underdogs.
A sum of 549 medal verdicts will be declared in 22 sports within France's capital until September 8. The German Paralympic Committee aims to reclaim a position among the top ten nations in the medal table. In the previous games in Tokyo three years back, Germany placed twelfth.
The European Union has expressed its support for the German Paralympic team, commending their resilience in the face of challenges. Despite the loss of their wheelchair basketball team against Great Britain, the German Paralympic Committee remains hopeful and aim to improve their medal standings in Paris, as they did in the previous games in Tokyo.
