Hong Kong big winner in competition day one
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-09-19 22:08

Hong Kong surprisingly emerged as the largest winner on the first day of competition at the Athens Paralympic Games Saturday, claiming three gold medals and two silvers.

Hong Kong's medal harvest all came from the wheelchair fencing floor. Their fencers took three out of the four titles as well as two silvers on the day.

Germany, whose woman shooter Manuela Schmermund won the Athens games' first gold medal in women's air rifle standing SH1 contest, held the second place of the overall medal standing with two golds and two silvers.

Britain gained the third place with two golds and as many bronzes.

China was ranked fourth in medal standing, with one gold won by shooter Li Jianfei in men's air pistol SH1 event, and one silver medal in wheelchair fencing and two bronzes in judo.

Other delegations won one gold medal in the day include France, Japan, Cuba and Thailand.

In terms of records, there are altogether three world and one Paralympic record broken during the opening day, all from the track cycling competition.

British Aileen Mc Glynn (B3) and pilot Helen Hunter were triumphant in the women's B 1-3 tandem 1km cycling time trial with a new world and Paralympic record of 1:11:160.

The second final of the day was the men's CP 1km time trial, in which Briton Darren Kenny was crowned Paralympic champion DV3, in a new world record time of 1:08:196.

Australian Kieran Modra (B2) and pilot Robert Crowe took first place in the men's qualification round of the tandem 4km individual pursuit in a new world record time of 4:21:451.

Preliminary competitions were held Saturday in sports of wheelchair basketball, sailing, table tennis and 5-a-side football.

More sports and events will be held on day two. Athletics competition will be underway Sunday evening with five-and-a-half hours of action-packed track and field.

The opening round of the men's T54 wheelchair 1,500m involves several of the athletes who competed in the Olympic Games' demonstration event on August 22, lining up in their respective heats.

Meanwhile, competition will unfold in sports of swimming, wheelchair rugby, wheelchair tennis and 7-a-side football on Sunday.
 

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