Tokyo Paralympics 2021: News and results from Day 10

The Australian table tennis team have won more medals, capping off their best Paralympic tally ever.

Australia has won two more medals in table tennis to cap the best Paralympic performance by the team ever.

The Aussies surpassed the previous national Paralympic record of four medals set in 1964, by winning silvers in the men’s and women’s team events.

That lifted the squad’s final total to six medals in Tokyo – two golds and four silvers.

The Australia men, led by Ma Lin, who lost one of his arms when he was mauled by a bear as a child, lost 2-0 to China in the gold medal match.

Ma Lin won silver. Picture: Getty Images

After beating China in the semis, the Aussie women came unstuck in the final against Poland, losing 2-0 when Lina Lei and Yan Qian lost the doubles and Yang was beaten in her must-win singles match but there were no regrets.

“Everything has surpassed my expectations,” said Lei, who won gold in her individual event after moving to Australia from China.

“My goal was a medal, gold was a surprise. We fought hard but we just fell short in doubles but overall, it’s been good.”

Yang also won gold in her singles event but didn’t play as well in the team event.

Lina Lei and Qian Yan played off for gold in the doubles. Picture: Getty Images

“Our doubles performance wasn’t great. For singles, it was different from the singles semi-finals. I was more anxious. I wanted to kill off points earlier and I made more errors.”

Tapper, who represented Australia at both the Olympics and Paralympics, praised her new naturalised teammates for raising the spirits and performances of everyone in the Australian squad.

“They are amazing for our culture and environment. So it’s an honour to get to play alongside them,” she said.

“I’m just really excited to sleep. I will enjoy a bit of downtime, it’s been an incredible, crazy rollercoaster the last two years. I’m excited though that I get to go home with a silver medal.”

Qian Yan. Picture: Getty Images

AUSSIE CLAIMS CYCLING BRONZE

Australia picked up a bronze in cycling when Paige Greco finished third in the women’s C1-C3 road race at Fuji International Speedway.

Greco also won a gold in individual bronze in the time trial.

“I’m very happy to be on the podium again, and for all my races in my first Paralympics,” she said.

“It’s been an amazing Games and I never want to forget it. It’s been such an awesome ride. I want to keep doing this as long as I can.”

Alistair Donohoe missed the podium after crashing twice.

Robbed of the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Games when one of his rivals collided with him and knocked him off his bike metres from the finish of the road race, Donohoe got back on his bike despite being bloodied and bruise and caught up before cramps ended his challenge in the 92km race.

“I went soul searching there for a while. I dug so deep because you‘ve got to be in it to win it and you’ve got to spend your biscuits,” he said.

“I had the energy but once you start cramping there’s nothing you can do. You’ve got to back off to your pace. I couldn’t go with it with the accelerations.”

One of the most recognisable riders on the team because of his trademark mullet, Donohoe was fighting back tears as he crossed the line fifth, but not because of the injuries he sustained during the race.

“This race was for my mate Will. He committed suicide about two months ago and I‘ve been holding it together up until the Games,” Donohoe said. “Now it’s over. I can let it out. It feels so good.

MEDALS TABLE

With two days to go, Australia now has 18 golds and a total of 72 medals, but with more to come.

McGrath is through to Saturday’s Va’a final while Dylan Alcott is in the wheelchair tennis gold medal match against Dutchman Sam Schroder and champion sprinter James Turner starts as the fastest qualifier and favourite in the 100m dash.

INSPIRATIONAL AUSSIE’S FINANCIAL PLEA

Inspirational Paralympian Curtis McGrath has called on corporate Australia to follow the federal government’s lead by kicking the tin to help all Australian athletes with disabilities.

McGrath won his second successive gold medal in para-canoe in Tokyo on Friday but paused from his celebrations to plead for more financial help while record numbers of Australians are tuning in to watch the team compete in Tokyo.

The 33-year-old former soldier welcomed the government‘s announcement that Australian Paralympians will receive the same cash bonuses as Olympic medal winners but said the big end of town also needed to dig into their pockets.

“We just want an equal playing field and we want equal opportunities because that‘s what the Paralympics are about,” McGrath said.

Curtis McGrath paused his celebrations to plead for financial support for Australian Paralympic athletes. Picture: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

“Everyone, even corporate Australia, can get out there and sponsor a Paralympic athlete, not just myself, not just a gold medallist, but someone who‘s working every day, working hard.

“(Paralympians) are doing the same amount of work, the same amount of effort as an Olympian, as an NRL player and an AFL player so they should get the rewards that they deserve.”

McGrath is one of the few high-profile Paralympians who does get some support, but he’s had to work double overtime for the recognition he’s received.

He lost both his legs when a mine exploded while he was serving with the Army in Afghanistan and has admitted that the Taliban’s return to power in the country has made it hard to focus on his Paralympic races.

“It’s a tragic situation in Afghanistan and my heart does go out to the people there,” he said.

“I was there searching for improvised explosive devices, clearing the way for school buses, people going to work or whatever.

“I‘m pretty content with my contribution to the country. It’s up to the people of Afghanistan now and hopefully they can find a peaceful resolution.”

McGrath with his gold medal after winning his second gold medal in the para-canoe. Picture: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

It’s part of sporting folklore that at the same instant McGrath was being airlifted out of Afghanistan after he was injured he immediately declared he wanted to be a Paralympian and true to his word, he has since established himself as the best para-canoeist in the world, winning multiple world titles.

He won the KL2 kayak gold medal when the sport was introduced to the Paralympics for the first time at Rio in 2016 and defended his title with a commanding performance in Tokyo.

“Rio was all so new to me, the high performance of it all, that level of competition, the competitiveness of everyone and it‘s really great to have that,” said McGrath, who is also through to the final Saturday’s Va’a event, which has been added to the program for Tokyo.

“I‘m now more experienced, a little bit older, an extra year I’ve worked on things and I felt really comfortable.

“There were nerves but that means it means something to me and I‘m just super happy with my performance.

“Going back to back, it‘s one of those feelings that confirm that I can come to a big event like this or the biggest event and perform.”

Susan Seipel, who represented Australia in equestrian before changing sports to canoe, won silver in the women’s Va’a race on Friday to capture her second medal after getting bronze in kayak in Brazil five years ago.

“It‘s amazing, I’m just really grateful to be here. They were able to put on the Games, and I’m extra happy about it,” said Seipel, who has also entered kayak in Japan.

“It‘s one up, it’s a better colour than bronze, so it’s awesome … It’s the debut of this event at the Paralympics so it’s really special to be making history again.”

McGrath destroys Tokyo rivals in para-canoe blitz

Curtis McGrath has won gold for Australia at the Tokyo Paralympics.

The former soldier successfully defended the KL2 para-canoe title he won in Rio in 2016 with a commanding win at the Sea Forest Waterway.

Susan Seipel won silver for Australia in the women’s Va’a race to capture her second medal after getting bronze in kayak in Brazil five years ago.

Dylan Littlehales unluckily missed a bronze in his kayak race by just 0.012.

Australia also won a silver medal on Friday in the women’s table tennis team event.

Lina Lei, Yang Qian and Melissa Tapper finished second overall after they were beaten 2-0 by Poland in the gold medal match.

Curtis McGrath powers through the water.

“It’s been an amazing Games, particularly for our Australian Paralympic team as a whole but our table tennis team has done absolutely amazing,” Tapper said.

“So for me to get to be a part of that as well is very special, I’m really excited that the girls who were able to finish today with a silver – obviously we were fighting for gold … but overall it’s a fantastic result overall, not just for our table tennis team but for Australia as well.”

Australia also picked a bronze in cycling when Paige Greco finished third in the women’s C1-C3 road race at Fuji International Speedway but Alistair Donohoe missed the podium after crashing twice.

“I’m very happy to be on the podium again, and for all my races in my first Paralympics,” said Greco, who also won gold in the individual pursuit and bronze in the time trial.

“It’s been an amazing Games and I never want to forget it. It’s been such an awesome ride. I want to keep doing this as long as I can.”

As it stands, Australia now has 18 golds and a total of 70 medals, but with more to come.

The Australian men’s table tennis team is guaranteed at least a silver after advancing to tonight’s final against China while Australia has plenty of strong prospects in the pool with Col Pearse, Jasmine Greenwood, Keira Stephens, Braeden Jason and the men’s medley relay all through to swimming finals.

McGrath is through to Saturday’s Va’a final while Dylan Alcott is in the wheelchair tennis gold medal match against Dutchman Sam Schroder and champion sprinter James Turner starts as the likely favourite in the 100m dash.