The New Zealand Paralympic Team had an outstanding opening morning at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. All four of our Paralympians in action this morning have made the Finals and not only that, all four of them set personal best times.
Kate Horan was the first New Zealand Paralympian to compete today in the Women’s 3km Pursuit C4 and did it in style, setting a Paralympic record and personal best time of 4:02.608. Kate will ride off for the bronze medal tonight against Megan Fisher (USA). The action then moved to the Aquatic Centre where Cameron Leslie was the first New Zealander in the pool and setting a new personal best time of 2:52.21 in the Men’s 200m Freestyle S5. Cameron qualified fifth fastest for tonight’s final and will race against Brazil’s darling Daniel Dias who has won a total of nine Paralympic medals. Rebecca Dubber and Nikita Howarth followed swiftly after Cameron in the first heat of the Women’s 100m Backstroke S7. They both swam a great heat finishing first and second with personal best times of 1:23.62 and 1:24.69 respectively. Rebecca and Nikita will go into tonight’s final qualifying second and third fastest respectively, with Liting Ke (China) qualifying fastest from heat two.
