Turkish para table tennis star Ebru Acer made history at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games by securing her spot in the semifinals of the Women’s S11 class, guaranteeing herself a medal.
Competing at South Paris Arena 4, the 22-year-old sensation faced off against Lea Ferney from the host nation, France.
Ferney, a silver medalist from Tokyo 2020, was no easy opponent, but Acer held her ground.
The composed Acer triumphed over Ferney with a 3-1 victory, claiming the match with scores of 11-6, 11-13, 11-7, and 11-5.
This win not only elevated Acer to the semifinals but also assured her a podium finish, a remarkable achievement for the young athlete.
Acer’s quest for gold continues as she prepares for the semifinals and, if successful, the final, both slated for Thursday.
Türkiye’s hopes are high as they rally behind their national hero, who has already made the nation proud on the global stage.
Önder shines
Another Turkish athlete, Aysel Önder, delivered a stellar performance at the Stade de France, claiming a silver medal in the Women’s 400m T20 category.
The 19-year-old para-athlete, who has already etched her name in history, demonstrated her prowess once again at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Önder had earlier set a new world and Paralympic record with a time of 54.96 seconds during the qualifiers, securing her spot in the final.
In the final race, she clocked 55.23 seconds, finishing just behind Ukraine’s Yulia Shuliar, who took gold with a time of 55.16 seconds.
India’s Deepthi Jeevan Ji secured the bronze, completing the race in 55.23 seconds.
This silver medal is not just a personal triumph for Aysel but a historic moment for Türkiye, marking her as the first Turkish para-athlete to achieve such a feat in the T20 class.
Önder celebrated her victory by proudly waving the Turkish flag at Stade de France, embodying the spirit and resilience of Turkish athletes on the world stage.
Her silver medal also contributes to Türkiye’s growing tally at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, which now stands at 12 medals: three gold, six silver, and three bronze.
Triathlete Özer finishes 6th
In the Men’s PTS5 triathlon event at Paris 2024, Turkish athlete Uğurcan Özer delivered a commendable performance, finishing sixth.
The triathlon, held at Pont Alexandre in Paris, consisted of a 750-meter swim, a 20-kilometer bike ride, and a 4.35-kilometer run.
Uğurcan, who trained under coach Mert Onaran in İzmir, completed the course in 1:01:17, placing him sixth among 10 competitors.
Swimmers fall short
The Women’s 50m Backstroke S5 final at Paris La Defense Arena saw Turkish swimmers Sümeyye Boyacı and Sevilay Öztürk finish in fourth and seventh place, respectively.
Sümeyye completed the race with a time of 43.30 seconds, narrowly missing out on a medal, while Sevilay clocked 44.19 seconds.
Chinese athletes dominated the event, with Lu Dong winning gold with a time of 37.51 seconds, Shenggao He taking silver with 39.93 seconds, and Yi Liu securing bronze with a time of 42.37 seconds.