PARIS — The first day of para-athletics, held on Friday evening at the Stade de Saint-Denis in Paris, marked the start of Algerian participation in the 17th Paralympic Games.
Algerian athlete Mounia Gasmi was the first to compete, participating in the club throw event, F32 class. Gasmi finished 12th with a throw of 18.66m.
The podium was dominated by the top three competitors: Tunisia’s Ibrahmi Maroua won the gold medal with a throw of 29.00m, setting a new world record, followed by Iran’s Habibi Parastoo with a silver medal for 26.29m, and Brazil’s Boscolo Giovanna, who claimed bronze with 26.01m.
“The result for Gasmi Mounia was expected given the calibre of her opponents. Perhaps her performance was not up to her usual standard, but she still deserves congratulations for completing her event under challenging weather conditions,” said the head of the delegation, Sid Ahmed Elasri.
On Saturday, seven Algerian athletes will begin their competitions starting at 9:00 AM, including discus throwers Nassima Saifi and Safia Djelal (F57), as well as Bakhta Benallou (T13) at the same time. They will be followed at 10:11 AM by Samir Nouioua in the 1500m (F46).
At 6:04 PM, the men’s club throw event will feature the trio Ahmed Mehideb, Walid Ferhah, and Abdelhak Missouni (F32).
