With only three events now remaining in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Qualification Period, the points available at the weekend’s Para Cup Taranto shook up the rankings once more for many of the athletes chasing the safety of the top 9.
Italian athletes impressed on home soil, but there were some key performances for those on the fringes of the qualification cut-off. Before the window closes, two huge Series events lie ahead in the form of WTPS Swansea (22 June) and WTPS Montreal (29 June), with the Para Cup Besancon (15 June) coming up fast.
MEN’S REPORTS
It was an Italian men’s triple-threat gold with Giovanni Achenza H1 winning the PTWC, Julien Viot (FRA) in second, and Gianluca Valori PTS2 gold ahead of Colombian Juan Esteban Patino Giraldo, leaving them 10th and 12th in the Paralympic rankings respectively.
Then there was a big win for Manuel Lama B3 in the men’s PTVI race, gold propelling the Italian up 11 places in the rankings to 14th, Donnacha McCarthy B1 (IRL) climbing two places to join Lazar Filipovic B2 (SRB) in joint 12th.
Valerii Perekhrest (UKR) halted the Italian charge with a tight victory on his Para Cup debut in the PTS3, Giovanni Sciaccaluga (ITA) and Daniel Wyss (SUI) in second and third. Alejandro Sanchez Palermo proved untouchable in the PTS4, the Spaniard taking gold by over a minute from Britain’s Finlay Jakes who will now be eyeing his Paralympic chances, Jorge Luis Fonseca of Brazil with bronze.
Turkey’s Ugurcan Ozer came out on top of a stacked PTS5 field to climb one place to 8th in the rankings, one spot behind the man who followed him over the line, Australia’s David Bryant, Tom Williamson’s (IRL) bronze keeping his Paris hopes alive.
WOMEN’S REPORTS
The USA’s Emilia Perry H1 scored a career-first Para Cup win in the PTWC race, climbing one place to 8th in the rankings and making her Paris 2024 ambitions look ever more secure, though less than 100 points separate her from second-placed teammate Skyler Fisher H2, Elise Laurent H2 (FRA) with bronze.
Home favourite and Paris 2024 contender Veronica Plebani ruled supreme in the women’s PTS2, taking the tape by two minutes from Emma Juaisca Rodriguez Rodriguez (VEN) and Shashruti Vinayak Nakade (IND), Rachel Watts (USA) with the PTS3 gold.
Another American, Kendra Herber won a close PTS4 to draw within 100 points of compatriot Emma Meyers in the rankings, Germany’s Eike Van Engelen enhanced her Paralympic qualification chances with silver, Atalia Nevo of Israel the bronze.
In the PTS5, Poland’s Marta Dzieciatkowska beat Alisa Kolpakchy (UKR) to the gold, Emilie Gral (FRA) with bronze, all three medallists consolidating their top 9 positions in the rankings.
A close PTVI race saw Heloise Courvoisier B3 of France earn the win with a supreme run, climbing a place to 6th in the rankings. USA’s Taylor Talbot B2 and Vita Oleksiuk B1 of Ukraine completed the podium, the American moving within 20 points of compatriot McClain Hermes B1.