Paris Paralympics: UAE’s Mohammed places fifth in 100m wheelchair final

UAE’s Mohammad Othman Places Fifth in 100m Wheelchair Final at Paris Paralympics

UAE’s Mohammad Othman finished fifth in the 100m wheelchair race (T34) final at the Paris Paralympics on Monday.

Thailand’s Chaiwat Rathana set a new Paralympic record of 14.76 seconds while Mohammad was the winner in 15.40 seconds.

Tunisia’s Walid Katila (15.14 seconds) took silver and Canada’s Austin Smeenk took bronze in 15.19 seconds.

Meanwhile, Italian sprinter Valentina Petrillo became the first transgender athlete to compete in the Paralympics on Monday, while triathlon events were delayed after concerns over water quality in the Seine faded.

Petrillo, 50, qualified for the semi-finals on Monday after finishing second in the heats of the T12 400m for the visually impaired.

Petrillo has Stargardt disease, a genetic retinal condition that leads to gradual vision loss, but unlike her rivals at the Stade de France, she competed without a guide runner.

Jetze Platt won the first of 11 triathlon events, eventually postponed by 24 hours due to concerns over the water quality of the Seine River.

The 33-year-old Dutchman won his third Paralympic title in a row after success at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

“I’m almost relieved. It’s my third title in triathlon and I’m proud of it,” he said.

The triathlon events at the Paris Games were originally scheduled to be held over two days, but organizers announced that all 11 events will be held on Sunday due to concerns about the level of bacteria in the scene where the swimming phase of the triathlon takes place.

Heavy rain that could stir up pollution hit the French capital on Saturday, forcing organizers to delay the event.

Halfway through the sixth day of the Games, China advanced to 38 gold medals. China has topped the medal table at every Paralympics since Athens 2004.

The well-funded British team was second with 25 golds, followed by the USA with 11 golds.