Paracanoe action got off a fantastic start at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, with Great Britain, Australia and Hungary among the nations to do well in the heats. 

Here are some of the stand-out quotes from day one at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium: 

Peter Kiss (Hungary) – “It was great but a very tough race. It was a little bit windy - I didn’t expect this. The time is not very good but maybe in the final I can do better. I think Remy Boulle will be faster in the final, so I need more rest to compete tomorrow. I have a lot of confidence because my family and friends are here cheering for me, so I feel the motivation.” 

Dylan Littlehales (Australia) – “I didn’t get off the line quite as well as I thought I would want to. That’s what we expected and the headwind made it a bit hard to get the top speed right up. Coming into that second 100m, I made sure I dropped the shoulders down and didn’t let that lactate build too much in the arms and shoulders and that managed to get me home in the last 50m. I got the result.” 

Edina Mueller (Germany) – “It was a good race. It’s different every day. We never had headwind on this course, it has always been on the side or a tailwind, so this was surprising. This is not my favourite wind, but I still did a good race and I think this wind was a little bit better for my opponents. This says nothing for Sunday and if I have a similar good race on Sunday, everything can happen. I had planned to go through the semis so that’s okay and it was very close so I’m fine with it.” 

Charlotte Henshaw (Great Britain) – “It was always going to be a difficult morning preparing for backing up the kayak with the va’a in the space of 45 minutes. But we have been working on doing that in training and I am pleased to get good run under my belt. I haven’t had a hit out against the full field but it’s good to have put down a solid performance and one that I was pretty happy with and can build on moving forward for a busy Saturday and Sunday. You can feel as confident as you like, but you get to a Paralympic Games and it’s all to play for and everyone wants a bite of the medals and everybody on their day is capable of it.” 

Curtis McGrath (Australia) – “I was nervous this morning with a lot of excitement. What adds to the nerves is that we are one of the very last events of the Games. The weather was a bit average yesterday and now it is nice with a bit of headwind, so I was able to get out there and do a really good race and I am very happy with how it all came together. The goal was not to do a semi-final and I was able to do that and produce some really good results and I am really happy with how I executed. (Having supporters here) does change the dynamics. It is an amazing venue and amazing to have crowds.” 

Emma Wiggs (Great Britain) – “What a morning, what a  venue, what a crowd. It’s not often in Paracanoe we got a whole stand full of people cheering so incredible to see our sport again showing the world what it has got. Personally, I am really happy with my races. It has not been an easy year in either boat, but I am really happy with my delivery in va’a and I did everything I had in the kayak. I have done a huge amount of visualisation back in windy, wet Nottingham imagining beautifully sunny Paris with a whole crowd full of people. It was really powerful to sit on that start line and see that visualisation come to life and I could spot the red ‘Team Wiggs’ t-shirts in the crowd. It’s really exciting to be able to see that in real life when it has been in my mind for the past four or five months.” 

Fernando Rufino de Paulo (Brazil) – “In the kayak, I knew that I would be third or fourth place, but I worked hard. In the heats of the va’a, all the athletes have to slowly make it through. In the final, it will be different as it will be hard. I am so happy to share the final with my mate (Igor Alex Tofalini) and other Brazilian cowboys.” 

Emilio Ariel Atamanuk (Argentina) – “I am very happy to race and be at the Paralympics. My race was a little bit difficult, but I am ready for the semi-finals. I have prepared a lot for these Games.” 

Nelia Barbosa (France) – “There was a false-start in the first race, so I got a bit stressed as I thought it was me. I had to focus again and came back to the starting area. When I finished the race, I wasn’t sure if I was second or third and then I saw the crowd cheering me, so I guessed that I am first. I am really happy with it and now I am focused for the final on Sunday.”