In thefinal attempt, Hiltrop secures a victory with the final bullet.
Three years ago, marksman Hiltrop clinched gold in Tokyo using an air rifle. Recently, she's back on top of the podium, but this time, she's swapped her gear. Meanwhile, Germany's elderly athlete struggled more. It seems her steed couldn't handle the pressure.
The decisive shot sealed her fortune. Sports shooter Natascha Hiltrop emerged victorious, earning the first position during the Paralympics. This is the third gold medal for Germany's team in France. The 32-year-old from Bonn just managed to outperform Slovakia's Vadovicova with the small-bore rifle. "I'm exhausted, but still incredibly delighted and relieved," Hiltrop shared. She bagged gold three years ago in Tokyo, but it was with an air rifle.
While she was in sixth position following the qualifier, Hiltrop held the lead for quite some time during the final round. However, she slipped behind Vadovicova. Then, Vadovicova committed an error, allowing Hiltrop to overtake her with her final shot. "What unfolded here today is simply unbelievable," praised national coach Krenn.
Schmidberger eyes second medal in table tennis
Germany's oldest para-athlete, Dresing, narrowly missed out on a medal at the commencement of the equestrian events. The 69-year-old ranked fourth in class II with Dooloop. She lost out on bronze by a measly 0.311%. "I'm a little disappointed, but on the other hand, I'm proud that I can still do this," said Dresing. "It was overwhelmingly loud on the stands here, and my horse didn't enjoy it on the practice track. It was always distracted, very jittery and anxious."
The wheelchair basketball team is aiming for their first medal since 1992. They beat Spain 57:49 (26:19) and will compete in the semi-finals on Thursday. "Brilliant. Defensively, we delivered an exceptional performance against one of the world's best offensive teams. We really wore them down," praised coach Engel.
Table tennis player Schmidberger is no stranger to medals. With a 3-0 victory against France's Merrien, the paraplegic player from Borussia Düsseldorf progressed to the semi-finals and is assured of at least a bronze medal. "It continues on Thursday. I think I'm hard to beat," said the 32-year-old. He already claimed silver in the doubles with Baus.
Natascha Hiltrop's triumph in the Paralympics with the small-bore rifle marked her third gold medal for Germany. In the upcoming Paralympics, table tennis player Schmidberger from Borussia Düsseldorf aims to add another medal to Germany's collection, having already secured a silver in the doubles.
