EVENTS
 Sportsman of the Year
 Heisman Trophy
 Swimsuit 2001

CNNSI.com GROUP
 Sports Illustrated
 Life of Reilly
 Television
 SI Women
 SI for Kids
 Press Room
 TBS/TNT Sports
 CNN Languages

COMMERCE
 SI Customer Service
 SI Media Kits
 Get into College
 Sports Memorabilia
 TeamStore

Day at a glance

Click here for more on this story

By Luba Vangelova, Special to CNNSI.com

The first day of competition at the 11th Paralympic Games ended with medals in three of the six sports contested thus far.

Slovakia's Radovan Kaufman, who lost his right leg to cancer six years ago, won the first gold medal of these Games in one of the track cycling mixed 1km time trial categories. American Dory Selinger then captured the first U.S. medal, a silver in another mixed 1km time trial category.

Today's track cycling competition also included qualifying rounds of the men's and mixed tandems, which feature blind or visually impaired cyclists teamed with able-bodied cyclists; this is the only Paralympic event in which an able-bodied athlete can win a medal.

American Marlon Lopez shared bronze with Russia's Oleg Chabachov in the men's half-lightweight judo open event. Japan's Satoshi Fujimoto, who entered the competition with a 64-bout winning streak, captured the gold.

Korean shooters won both of the day's shooting gold medals in front of a large crowd of Korean supporters.

Today also marked the debut of a new Paralympic medal sport, basketball for the intellectually disabled. It joined the enduringly popular wheelchair basketball, which has been played since 1960 and which also launched its pool competition today.

Storylines

Friday will be a busy day, with seven more events getting underway, including athletics, swimming, and women's wheelchair basketball. The U.S. men's wheelchair basketball team replaced the Atlanta gold-medal-winning Australian team as the world number one in 1998. Both countries convincingly won their first pool matches today. This event is wide open, with five nations considered gold medal contenders. The Australian husband-and-wife cycling team of Kerry and Kieran Modra just missed qualifying for the semis in the mixed tandem individual pursuit track cycling event. Kerry is currently four months pregnant. The couple won the gold medal in the mixed tandem sprint in Atlanta and are hoping to improve their form in their remaining three tandem events (they next compete on Saturday in the 1km time trial).

Athlete of the hour

American tandem cyclists Karissa Whitsell and Spencer Yates broke the Paralympic record in the mixed tandem individual pursuit open to qualify for the semifinals tomorrow. They beat the current world record holders (Australia's Modras) in the process.

Beauts

First, rain threatened to spoil last night's opening ceremony, but let up just in time. Then today dawned gray and rainy. But by mid-morning the warm, sunny weather that Sydneysiders often take for granted finally returned. About one million Paralympic tickets have already been sold, far exceeding expectations and proving that Sydneysiders could rebound from the Olympics in time to embrace these Games as well.

Busts

Threatened legal action has already marred these Games, proving the Paralympics are not immune to controversy. Australian shot putter Hamish MacDonald wanted to change competition classes in order to compete (there were not enough entries in his class to hold an event). The IPC refused, insisting athletes could not switch classes after entry. The matter was taken to the Board of Arbitration this evening. Some athletes have objected to Paralympic Village mayor referring to Paralympians as "Bravehearts." They consider the comment patronizing. A healthy debate may be needed so well-meaning people don't suddenly find themselves lambasted.

Gold rush

Athletics - men's 10,000m; men's and women's 800m; men's 400m; men's and women's 100m; men's discus throw, shot put, high jump, long jump, javelin throw; women's javelin throw, discus throw Cycling (track) - women's tandem 1km time trial; mixed tandem individual pursuit; men's tandem individual pursuit; mixed team Olympic sprint Fencing - men's individual foil; women's individual foil Judo - men's lightweight; men's half-middleweight, up to 66kg Shooting - mixed 10m air rifle prone Swimming - men's 150m individual medley; women's 150m individual medley; men's 200m individual medley; women's 200m individual medley; men's 100m breaststroke; women's 50m breaststroke Table Tennis - Men's team

On the spot

Australian shooting couple Libby and Stan Kosmala compete against each other on Friday in the mixed 10m air rifle prone event. Stan leads 3-2 in their head-to-head competitions.

 

Related information
Stories
Day at a Glance: Paralympic debut CNNSI.com's Complete 2000 Paralympic Games Coverage
Multimedia
Visit Multimedia Central for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV.

Copyright © 2001 CNN/Sports Illustrated An AOL Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines.