WELSH Paralympians have delivered their most successful performance in two decades at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, bringing home a remarkable total of 16 medals. This marks their best tally since the Athens 2004 Games, where Welsh athletes secured 22 medals.

Out of the 22 Welsh athletes who travelled to Paris as part of the Great Britain team, 14 returned with medals across 10 sports, contributing to the wider ParalympicsGB success of 124 medals, including 49 golds. The Welsh contingent’s impressive haul comprised seven golds, five silvers, and four bronzes.

This is also Wales’ finest showing since the Beijing 2008 Paralympics, where they won 10 golds in a 14-medal total. Among the standout athletes in Paris was 17-year-old Rhys Darbey, the youngest Welsh competitor, who secured a gold in the mixed S14 4x100m freestyle relay and a silver in the SM14 200m individual medley. At the other end of the age spectrum, 40-year-old Rob Davies added a silver in men’s singles table tennis.

The Welsh gold rush

Wales’ triumphs began early, with five athletes capturing gold within the first 24 hours of competition. Matt Bush etched his name in the history books by becoming the first British male to win gold in Para-taekwondo, a victory made even sweeter after injury had denied him a place at both Rio and Tokyo. The 35-year-old’s triumph was followed by Ben Pritchard’s emphatic win in the PR1 men’s single sculls, where the Welsh rower comfortably beat reigning champion Roman Polianskyi of Ukraine by more than 10 seconds.

In cycling, James Ball, guided by fellow Welshman Steffan Lloyd, claimed gold in the men’s B 1000m time trial, avenging his second-place finish to Neil Fachie in Tokyo three years prior. Meanwhile, Sabrina Fortune lit up the athletics field with a record-breaking performance in the F20 shot put. Her first-round throw of 15.12m not only secured gold but also set a new world record.

Swimming prodigy Rhys Darbey added another chapter to the Welsh golden weekend, clinching gold in his first Paralympic race as part of the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay team, all of whom were teenagers. He became one of the faces of the Welsh success story in Paris.

Jodie Grinham also made headlines in Para-archery, taking gold in the mixed team compound event alongside Nathan Macqueen, while competing seven months pregnant. Her achievement was a fitting symbol of resilience and determination in Welsh sport.

Carmarthenshire’s golden duo

Following the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Carmarthenshire County Council expressed immense pride in its two Paralympians – para-cyclist Steffan Lloyd and para-taekwondo athlete Matt Bush, both of whom return to Wales as gold medallists.

Matt Bush, from St Clears, returns as Paralympic champion after defeating neutral Paralympic athlete Aliaskhab Ramazanov 5-0 in the men’s K44 +80kg final. His extraordinary achievement was further recognised when he was named the flag bearer for Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the closing ceremony.

Steffan Lloyd, educated at Ysgol Gyfun Emlyn, won gold as a pilot for fellow Welshman James Ball in the men’s B 1000m time trial. His partnership with Ball delivered one of the most significant victories of the Games for Welsh cycling.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, Cllr Hazel Evans, commended their achievements: “Congratulations to Matt and Steffan on their remarkable achievements. Carmarthenshire is beaming with pride due to its two Paralympians, who have both won gold. We are looking forward to officially celebrating their success, along with our Olympians, later this year. Da iawn chi!”

Silver and bronze successes

While Welsh athletes revelled in their gold medals, there were also notable silver and bronze wins. Aled Sion Davies, who went into the Games as the shot put world record holder and favourite, had to settle for silver after what he described as a “massive underperformance.” Georgia Wilson also took silver in Para-equestrian, adding to her bronze in the individual event grade II competition.

Rob Davies, a veteran of Welsh Paralympic sport, captured silver in table tennis, while Phil Pratt led the men’s wheelchair basketball team to a silver finish. Jodie Grinham added a bronze in the women’s individual compound, alongside Paul Karabardak in the men’s doubles Para-table tennis and Hollie Arnold in the F46 javelin.

Disappointment for some

However, not all athletes enjoyed success in Paris. Paralympics boccia champion David Smith, who had hopes of adding to his illustrious career, narrowly missed out on a medal in both individual and team events, citing fatigue as a key factor in his performance. Track athlete Olivia Breen, a gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games, also left Paris empty-handed, missing out on the long jump bronze by the narrowest of margins after her second-best jump fell short.

A triumphant conclusion

As the Games came to a close, Matt Bush had the honour of being named Great Britain’s flag bearer for the closing ceremony, alongside swimmer Poppy Maskill. Welsh athletes leave Paris with a remarkable achievement to celebrate – their best Paralympic medal tally in 20 years, contributing to ParalympicsGB’s second-place finish on the medal table, only behind China.

With Paris 2024 now a memory, Welsh Paralympians can look back on a Games that cemented their place as a sporting powerhouse and left an indelible legacy for future generations. The closing ceremony at Stade de France promises to be a fitting finale for an unforgettable 11 days of sport.