Aussie gold, teary interview: What you missed on day one

PARIS: Australia’s swimmers hauled in a bag of medals, including the team’s first gold of the Paralympics, on an opening day of competition that also saw Australia’s wheelchair rugby and basketball teams get under way.
The Paris La Defense Arena, the swimming venue for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, was the focal point of the capital city as 11 days of world-class sport kicked off.
Here’s what you missed in Paris overnight.
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Three years after a pancreatic attack nearly claimed the life of Thomas Gallagher, the swimmer secured Australia’s first gold medal of the Paris Games.
He won bronze in Tokyo but a medical emergency robbed him of his chance to stand on the podium.
After triumphing in the men’s 50m freestyle S10 in a time of 23.40 seconds in Paris, he seized his chance in front of a 17,000-strong crowd.
Dolphins teammate Rowan Crothers joined him on the podium, collecting bronze after clocking 23.79.
Less than 24 hours after completing the journey down the Champs-Élysées with fellow flag bearer Madison de Rozario and 32 other Australians, five-time Paralympic swimmer Brenden Hall claimed Australia’s first medal of the Paris Games.
The 31-year-old picked up bronze in the men’s 400m freestyle S9 with a time of 4:15.69.
In doing so, he edged Australian rising star Timothy Hodge for a place on the podium, as his younger Dolphins teammate finished fourth in 4:16.17.
Watch every moment, every medal of the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 live and free on Channel 9, 9Gem and 9Now. Plus, every event streaming ad free, live and on demand with 4K on Stan Sport.
Lakeisha “Lucky” Patterson triumphed in the pool to become one of four Australian medallists on the first day of competition.
The three-time Paralympic gold medallist collected silver in the women’s 400m freestyle S9, posting a time of 4:40.14.
She was emotional in a poolside interview with Nine, opening up on a “really tough year”.
The Australian wheelchair rugby team, the Steelers, went down valiantly in a tight affair with Great Britain, losing 58-55.
Later in the day, the Australian men’s basketball team, the Rollers, lost to the Netherlands 66-55.
Read that match report here.
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