- "Gold Medal Victory for Hiltrop and Schmidt in Paralympic Hammer Throw Competition"
The final bid was for the top prize. Competitor Natascha Hiltrop clinched first place at the Paralympics. Using a small-caliber rifle, the 32-year-old from Bonn just edged out Slovakian Veronika Vadovicova. "I'm drained and exhausted, but still immensely happy and relieved," Hiltrop expressed.
Hiltrop had previously won gold three years ago in Tokyo, but with an air rifle. In the shooting range in Châteauroux, she was in sixth place after the preliminary round. She led for a long time in the final, but then dropped behind Vadovicova. Then the competitor made an error, and Hiltrop managed to surpass the Slovakian with her final shot. "What transpired here today is simply astonishing," praised national coach Rudi Krenn.
The successful evening was capped off by Maurice Schmidt, who secured the fourth gold medal for the German Paralympic Committee in wheelchair fencing. He defeated the British defending champion Piers Gilliver 15:8 and was greeted with enthusiastic chants of "Maurice, Maurice."
Before that, sprinter Irmgard Bensusan won bronze in her penultimate Paralympics race over 200 meters. The 33-year-old finished in 26.77 seconds behind the two Dutchwomen Kimberly Alkemade (25.24 seconds) and Marlene van Gansewinkel (26.14).
On Friday, Bensusan has another opportunity to win a medal over 100 meters. After the Paralympics, she will return to her home country of South Africa after ten years in Germany.
The senior German Paralympic athlete narrowly missed the podium
The senior German Paralympic athlete, Heidemarie Dresing, narrowly missed a medal at the beginning of the dressage competitions. The 69-year-old opened the test and finished fourth in class II with Dooloop. She missed bronze by 0.311%.
"I'm a bit disappointed, a bit disappointed. But on the other hand, I'm also proud that I could still do this," said Dresing. "It was incredibly loud on the stands, and my horse didn't like it on the warm-up arena. It was always distracted, very tense and nervous."
Wheelchair basketball team convincingly advances to the semifinals
The wheelchair basketball team is aiming for its first medal since 1992. Against Spain, the team coached by Michael Engel won 57:49 (26:19) and advanced to the semifinals on Thursday. Thomas Boehme shone with 26 points and 15 rebounds. "World-class. Defensively, we did an incredible job against one of the best offensive teams in the world. We really wore them down," raved coach Engel.
Table tennis player Thomas Schmidberger has already secured the next medal. With a 3-0 victory over the Frenchman Florian Merrien, the paralyzed player from Borussia Düsseldorf not only advanced to the semifinals but can also look forward to at least bronze. "On Thursday, it continues. I think I'm hard to beat," said the 32-year-old. Schmidberger had already won silver in the doubles with Valentin Baus.
Sitting volleyball team faces Bosnia in the semifinals
The German sitting volleyball team lost its final group game against the gold contender Iran with the 2.46-meter tall Morteza Mehrzadselakjani 0:3. "Iran is simply in a different league. Morteza is just a small part of the puzzle," said national coach Christoph Herzog.
The opponent in the semifinals on Thursday will be Bosnia and Herzegovina. "This will be the most important game of the last few years. We know we can beat them," declared Herzog. "All in against Bosnia."
The German Paralympic Committee has earned medals through various disciplines. Other than Hiltrop's gold in rifle shooting and Schmidt's in wheelchair fencing, sprinter Irmgard Bensusan had a close call, finishing fourth with 0.311% off the podium. Including these achievements, the German team has demonstrated substantial talent and determination in the Paralympics.
Despitemissing out on a medal, senior German Paralympic athlete Heidemarie Dresing remains proud of her performance in dressage. She cites the loud crowd and her horse's nervousness as factors contributing to her narrow miss. This athlete, like many others, showcases resilience and dedication in the face of setbacks in the Paralympic Games.
