Paralympics

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Andreas Onea

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Swimmer Andreas Onea has already failed in the preliminaries of the Paralympic Games in his showpiece discipline, the 100 m breaststroke. On Friday morning in the atmospheric La Defense Arena in Paris, the Lower Austrian finished twelfth and missed out on a place in the final. With the same placing, track cyclist Franz-Josef Lässer also failed to make it to the final in the 1,000 m time trial.

Onea, who lost his left arm in a car accident at the age of five, was just over a second off the top eight in the final. "Of course it's bitter that it didn't work out for me in just that one race," said the 32-year-old. He had wanted a little too much on the first length, which then proved to be his undoing on the last few meters. One competition remains for Onea in Paris. On Sunday, the Lower Austrian will compete in the 200 m medley. "It will be just as brutally tough," he said. The goal is to make it to the final.

Cyclist Lässer missed out on this by less than seven tenths in an "insane atmosphere" in the Velodrome. Shortly after qualifying, he was already looking ahead to Saturday, where the Styrian is one of the favourites in the 4000 m pursuit. "Today was the final acid test for tomorrow. I want to really put on a show," said Lässer, who has been missing four fingers since birth.

Badminton ace Henriett Koósz suffered her second defeat in the competition in her duel with European champion Man-Kei To from Belgium, which sealed her early exit in the group stage. "Of course I can't be satisfied after the two defeats. I didn't manage to find my rhythm and reach my full potential," summarized Koósz.

Things went better for Michael Meier. After setting an Austrian record in the placement round, the archer was also able to impress on Friday and came out on top in the first knockout round against the Brazilian Reinaldo Vagner Charao Ferreira. On Sunday, the 16 remaining athletes will compete for the medals in knockout mode.

For the time being, there was no decision from the red-white-red perspective in the wheelchair tennis competitions. Nico Langmann's opening match against South Korean Han Sung-Bong had to be interrupted at 3:1 due to rain, while Josef Riegler's match against Suresh Dharmasena from Sri Lanka was stopped at 1:4.