Golds at sea and close contests: military athletes make history in Paris

PARIS (FRA) - In a day marked by extraordinary performances and heart-stopping contests, military athletes from the CISM member nations left an indelible mark on the thirteenth day of medal events at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

In sailing, Austria's duo Lara Vadlau and Lukas Mähr, both OR-4 ranked, emerged victorious in the Mixed Dinghy event, clinching the gold medal with 38 net points. Their strategic brilliance on the waters of Marseille propelled them ahead of the Japanese team, securing a hard-fought win by just three points.

Lara Vadlau and Lukas Mähr (picture: Olympic Team Austria)

Similarly, Italy's Ruggero Tita, a Corporal, and his teammate Caterina Marianna Banti dominated the Mixed Multihull event. With a commanding lead of 24 points, they took home the gold with a total of 31 net points, solidifying their position as the best in their class.

On the track, Neeraj Chopra, a Subedar Major from India, delivered a season-best throw of 89.45 meters in the Men's Javelin Throw. His powerful performance earned him a silver medal, narrowly missing the gold, which was claimed by Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, who set a new Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 meters.

Ruggero Tita (picture: Italia Team)

The boxing ring saw Private Stanimira Petrova of Bulgaria put up a valiant fight in the Women's -54kg category. Though she finished in fifth place, her performance was nothing short of commendable.

In the rowing events, Spain's Corporal Carlos Arévalo López, along with his teammates, secured a bronze medal in the Men's Kayak Four 500m, finishing just 0.25 seconds behind the German gold medalists. The Ukrainian team, composed of Military Reserves Oleh Kukharyk, Dmytro Danylenko, Ivan Trunov and Ivan Semykin, also put in a strong effort, finishing fourth with a time of 1:21.01, displaying their tenacity and teamwork.

Neeraj Chopra (picture: Team India)

Wrestling events brought mixed emotions for the Ukrainian contingent. Parviz Nasibov, OR-5, fought fiercely in the Men's -67kg final but fell short by a single point, earning a silver medal after an intense match against Iran’s Saeid Esmaeili Leivesi. Meanwhile, in the Men’s -87kg category, OF-3 Zhan Beleniuk secured a bronze medal after a decisive 3-1 victory over Poland's Arkadiusz Marcin Kulynycz.

In the waters of the 10km marathon swim, France's Sergent Océane Cassignol finished seventh, enduring a grueling race that highlighted her endurance and strength.

Carlos Arévalo López (picture: CISM Espana)

Brazil's Sergeant Edival Marques Quirino Pontes claimed a well-deserved bronze in the Men’s -68kg Taekwondo event, defeating Spain’s Javier Perez Polo in a thrilling 2-1 match.

As the day concluded, each medal won and every challenge faced was a testament to the discipline and courage instilled in them through their service. With several events still ahead, the world waits in anticipation to see what more these extraordinary individuals will achieve.

(Source: CISM Media & Communication Department)