Paralympics 2021 LIVE Next step in Alcotts golden slam bid McGraths hiccup in canoe sprint heat

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Some great news out of Question Time this afternoon - Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced the federal government is set to provide funding to Paralympics Australia to ensure the athletes are given the same cash bonuses as our Olympic medallists.

Olympic athletes who won medals were given $20,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze, by the Australian Olympic Committee.

“The Minister for sport, at my request, spoke to Paralympics Australia CEO Lynne Anderson earlier today and I’m delighted we have been able to support our fantastic Paralympians in this way,” he said.

“Our Paralympians are wonderful and powerful role models.”

Read here more. 

Australia’s oldest female athlete at these Paralympics, Carol Cooke, has been taken to hospital after her nasty fall today.

We heard from the 60-year-old’s doctor Geoff Thompson shortly after the race.

“I’ve just examined Carol. I did actually see the accident, so I have a good understanding. I have examined her. There is no head injury of any significance at all. I’m concerned about her injury to the back of her upper-left side [of her] chest and I am sending her off to hospital to have some CT scans and X-rays to make sure she hasn’t got fractures of her ribs,” he said.

“She also has a direct blow to her right lower shin and we will update that at the same time. I will see those as soon as they are taken and then we’ll know what to do next.”

Champion cyclist Carol Cooke has been taken off to hospital after a nasty fall in the women’s T1-2 road race. Credit:Stephen McKenzie

Wishing her all the best in recovery.

Australia’s canoe sprint champion Curtis McGrath has brushed off a few hairy moments in his opening heats on Thursday after twice veering slightly off course in the KL2 and VL3 events.

The one-time former Australian Army combat engineer who famously lost both his legs in Afghanistan in 2012 but delivered on his pledge to make it to the Paralympics in Brazil five years ago admitted that the rudder-less crafts can sometimes be tough to keep on course.

Curtis McGrath competes in the men’s heats on Thursday. Credit:Getty

Queenslander McGrath eased off late in his men’s kayak single 200m but comfortably qualified for Friday’s semi-finals.

“First race I had a bit of an issue and couldn’t really keep it straight in the middle of my lane, so I decided it wasn’t worth winning the heat and then getting disqualified,” McGrath said.

“[I] knew it would be better to just ease off and go through to the semi-final tomorrow. Glad it happened in that race and not the final.“

Not long after, in his heat for the men’s Va’a single 200m, the 33-year-old almost slipped out his lane late as his canoe contacted a buoy near the finish line. While a red flag went up, his heat run got approval, and he’s through to the final.

McGrath wasn’t able to progress directly to Saturday’s KL2 final.

“In the VL3, again, a bit of an issue staying the centre of my lane, kinda ran into the blocks at the end there, but that’s past the finish line and in my mind that’s out of play. No issues,” he said.

“It’s tough. These boats don’t have rudders. You’ve got to manipulate them, especially when there’s a bit of a breeze out here. Some of the rules maybe need to be talked about, in terms of keeping it in your lane, rather that in the middle of your lane.”

Sadly, Carol Cooke has pulled out of the women’s T1-2 road race.

Cooke took a nasty fall earlier so it’s probably to do with that. She is now listed as DNF.

Meanwhile, Aussie cyclist Stuart Jones has missed out on a medal in the men’s T1-2 road race. He came in eighth spot.

Ouch. Carol Cooke has taken a really awful fall in the women’s T1-2 road race less than 13 minutes into her race.

A rider in front of her fell and she was unable to manoeuvre around them in time. The conditions are absolutely awful today - you can see how slippery the roads are just by the footage.

I expect we may see more falls in both the women’s and men’s events, especially on those tricky descents.

She started to get up on her own before the broadcast cut away, but the commentators have just confirmed she has continued the race. What an effort from the 60-year-old.

Hi all, Sarah Keoghan here to take you through the afternoon and evening of day nine of the Para Games.

We will kick things off with the road cycling, with the athletes having to compete in some really awful conditions.

Australia has Stuart Jones in the men’s T1-2 road race from 2pm AEST and Carol Cooke in women’s T1-2 road race from 2:05pm AEST.

Wheelchair racer Angela Ballard has been back out on the track and has qualified for the final in her 400m event after a strong performance in her heat, clocking 58.01 seconds.

As Australian boccia player Daniel Michel opened up a 3-0 lead in his bronze medal match on Wednesday, Australian Paralympic legend Kurt Fearnley tweeted out a public service announcement.

“Dan Michel currently leading in the Bronze Medal Boccia match!!!” Fearnley wrote. “TUNE IN NOW! Work & homeschooling can wait!”

Daniel Michel and ramp assistant Ash McClure after winning Australia first boccia medals in 25 years. Credit:Getty

The Sydneysider, who was born with spinal muscular atrophy (type two), was surging towards a victory that would lock up Australia’s first boccia medal since 1996 and first individual medal in the sport at the Paralympics.

With trusted ramp assistant Ash McClure by his side, who also receives a medal, Michel let out a quintessentially Australian “yeah baby” whenever he executed a shot to his liking.

The aim of boccia is for athletes in a wheelchair to propel leather balls as close as possible to a white ball or “jack”, similar to lawn bowls.

Michel, eyes darting from one ball to the next, gave McClure specific instructions about how to line up the ramp before propelling the ball down using a device he controls with his mouth.

READ MORE from Tom Decent in Tokyo

Australia’s best medal hopes will be Will Martin, Ben Hance and Jasmine Greenwood. Martin broke his own world record in the heats, Hance managed an Paralympic record, while Greenwood was only 0.52 seconds off Hungary’s Bianka Pap who qualified fastest in the 100m backstroke (S10). All three races are within about 40 minutes of each other. The relay at the end of the night will be one to watch too.

Men’s 100m butterfly (S9) - Will Martin and Tim Hodge at 6.22pm AEST
Men’s 100m backstroke (S10) - Col Pearse at 6.35pm AEST
Women’s 100m backstroke (S10) - Jasmine Greenwood at 6.42pm AEST
Men’s 100m backstroke (S14) - Ben Hance at 7.03pm AEST
Women’s 100m backstroke (S14) - Madeleine McTernan and Ruby Storm at 7.10pm AEST
Women’s 50m freestyle (S4) - Rachael Watson at 8.38pm AEST
Women’s 4x100m medley relay (34 points) at 8.59pm AEST

Australia’s Curtis McGrath is breathing a sigh of relief after winning his heat in the men’s va’a single 200m in Tokyo.

The Queenslander was well ahead in the heat but appeared to lose a bit of his composure late, and almost slipped out his lane as his canoe veered off course in the final metres. He contacted a buoy on the finish line and, while a red flag did go up, his heat run got approval, and he’s through to the final.

McGrath, a former Australian Army combat engineer who famously lost both his legs in Afghanistan in 2012 but vowed at the time to make it to the Paralympics, is now at his second games after personal success in Brazil five years ago.

The ‘va’a’ canoe event refers to the name of a ‘boat’, ‘canoe’ or ‘ship’ among Pacific nations, including Tahiti.

“I could see out of the corner of my eye that I was a little bit ahead,” McGrath told Channel Seven about the closing stages of his heat.

“The goal is not to do too many changes with my style of paddling ... I had a bit of calculated risk and allowed the boat to drift right at the end there.

“I did hit the box at the end, which is past the finish line, so in my mind’ ‘I’ve crossed the line, it’s out of play’.

“They raised the red flag to maybe raise an issue but in my mind I’d crossed the finish line.”

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