Switzerland won both Paralympic wheelchair marathons on Sunday while the Netherlands claimed back-to-back women’s wheelchair basketball titles, denying the United States on the final day of competition.
China topped the medal table in Paris, as they have at every Paralympics since Athens in 2004. They have 94 golds, followed by Britain with 49 and the USA with 36.
As six weeks of Olympics and Paralympics fever wrapped up in the City of Light, the venues were being demolished ahead of the closing ceremony at the Stade de France.
Early in the morning, Catherine Debrunner pushed her racing wheelchair through the autumn chill through the streets of Paris to win the women’s marathon.
The 29-year-old Swiss athlete has added to the four gold medals he has won on the track in these Games ranging from 400m to 5,000m, with a silver medal in the T53 100m thrown in for good measure.
“I’m very tired but very happy,” Debnerer said. “Winning this marathon means everything to me because to end the Paralympics with this is really something special.”
Australia’s Maddison De Rosario bravely took silver on the opening day of the Paris Games, competing despite the death of her father.
Switzerland’s Marcel Hug, 38, overcame disappointing games on the track to dominate the men’s wheelchair marathon, finishing three minutes and 40 seconds ahead of China’s Hua Jin.
Weir retired after the fifth Paralympic Games
David Ware, one of Britain’s greatest Paralympic athletes of all time, announced that Paris was his last Games after finishing fifth.
“This is my last event for Great Britain,” Weir, 45, said. “No more international racing for me. I will do the city marathon.
“I’m proud and I’m very emotional.”
A minute’s silence was observed after one of the women’s marathons in memory of Ugandan Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegi, who died this week after a horrific attack by her ex-boyfriend.
Cheptagi finished 44th in the women’s marathon on 11 August.
Dutch makes it back-to-back women’s wheelchair basketball titles
The Netherlands secured a convincing 63-49 win over the USA to retain the women’s wheelchair basketball title they won at Tokyo 2020.
Bo Kramer led the Dutch with 23 points and 12 rebounds, while Mariska Beijer added 22 points.
Rose Hollerman scored 17 points for the USA but dominated most of the game at Bursey Arena.
The Americans will have to wait until the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics and try to secure their men’s title for the third consecutive Games on Saturday. The USA Women’s last title came at the 2016 Rio Games.
China defeated Canada 65-43 to win the bronze medal.
Organizers have promised to create a huge open-air nightclub feel at the Stade de France for the closing ceremony later on Sunday.
The hour-long set, which will feature 24 DJs mixing each track on stage, will be opened and closed by French electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre, 76.
The ceremony will also see the extinguishing of the Olympic cauldron and a symbolic transfer from Paris to Los Angeles, which will host the next Games in 2028.
In the medal table, the Netherlands is fourth with 27 golds, followed by Brazil with 25 and Italy sixth with 24 golds.
Ukraine’s athletes overcame significant obstacles in the battle against invading Russian forces to finish seventh with 22 golds, while host nation France finished eighth with 19 golds.
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