TOKYO 2020 PARALYMPICS DAILY RECAP: DAY SIX

TOKYO, Japan — Day six was a day like none other so far and that was a good thing because it was covered in athletics and swim medalling! Let’s go to the highlights…

We start in the pool, where medals usually sink to the bottom, but not for Team USA, who found themselves mostly near the top of the pool rankings!

The day started with the 100m Backstroke S7, and two medalists from team USA taking Gold and Bronze. Those two were Mallory Weggemann and Julie Gaffney (respectively). Weggemann would set a Paralympic record with a time of 1:21.27. Also coming in fourth was the United States’ McKenzie Coan.

Later, in the Women’s 100m backstroke final -S9, it was Team USA’s Hannah Aspden taking home top honors with her swim time of 1:09.22. Fellow countrywoman Elizabeth Smith would take fifth.

Elizabeth Moss was not just doing the 50m Butterfly -s6, but she was superfly coming in bronze with a 36.83 time posted. It is the second medal of the Paralympics for Marks, who is an Army Veteran.

In the Women’s 200m Individual Medley – SM11, Team USA picked up another bronze thanks to the hard work of Anastasia Pagonis, who swam with a time of 2:45:61.

In the Women’s 100m Freestyle S3, Leanne Smith found a silver medal at the end of the race for the first time ever in her Paralympic career! She set a time of: 1:37.68.

…And finally in the pool, last but not least at all… 2:26.80 was the number that Colleen Young put up in the Women’s 200m Individual Medley SM11 to take home the honor of Silver.

Congrats to all the swimmers!

Moving onto Athletics…Hagan Landry can throw far, as evident when he picked up a U.S. record for Men’s Standing Shot Put F41 with a measurement of 13.88. He picked up the silver in the event.

Not a great day for the United States women in sitting volleyball as they were swept 3-0 by China in the Pool B preliminaries. Monique Matthews led Team USA with 11 overall points in the matchup.

In Wheelchair Tennis, play was suspended for three hours due to heat excess. Then when they came back, it was The United States’ Dana Mathewson, who moves on after taking out her competition Sakhorn Khanthasit of Thailand (6-2), (6-4). David Wagner of the United States did not fair so well as he fell to his opponent Koji Sugeno of host country Japan (6-4), (6-2). Also failing to move on today was Bryan Barten who lost (6-0), (6-1) to Australia’s Dylan Alcott.

In goalball, the United States Men’s team was beat by Lithuania 3-13, while in a nail biter, the United States Women’s Team precisely carved of Turkey 4-3. Eliana Mason and Amanda Dennis both had 2 goals each, and both scored one of them on a penalty shot.

Roxanne Trunnell and Dolton won their second individual gold medal of the Tokyo Games with an 86.927% in the Para-equestrian individual freestyle test grade I, marking a new world record on Monday night at Equestrian Park.

On boosting the profile of para-dressage, Trunnell said:

“The better we start to do, people know about us, and that makes people more aware. Competing in LA (Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games) is on my schedule.”

In the late game, Men’s Wheelchair Basketball preliminaries, Team USA beat up on Algeria, dominating the first half and then not letting up in the second half as they won easily 86-25. With the win, the United States will get the second spot behind Great Britain in rankings for the upcoming quarterfinal round.

PHOTOS OF THE DAY:

That’s all for now! Have a great day, see you tomorrow!