Let’s get the party started: France players celebrate winning the blind football gold medal. — AP
FRANCE defeated Argentina 3-2 on penalties under the lights of the Eiffel Tower for the gold medal in blind football on the penultimate day of the Paralympic Games.
Frederic Villeroux scored the decisive spot kick to get the partisan home fans’ party underway after the teams drew 1-1 in normal time on Saturday.
“It felt like the script of a film,” said Villeroux, who also made the breakthrough in the 12th minute when he rifled a shot inside the left post.
Argentine star forward Maximiliano Espinillo replied from close range straight away after the French defenders failed to clear the ball.
“You have to take the good and accept the bad, but we are still very proud,” Espinillo said.
France are the first team other than Brazil to win blind football at a Paralympics. Brazil won all five previous golds since it was first played at the 2004 Athens Games.
The five-time defending champions, which had never lost a match before Thursday’s penalty loss to Argentina in the semi-finals, was consoled by the bronze medal after a 1-0 win over Colombia thanks to a fierce strike from Jefinho in the 24th minute.
Known as the “Paralympic Pele” because of speed and skill, Jefinho scored in off the left post despite facing two defenders, setting off a roar of appreciation around the Eiffel Tower Stadium.
“Today we left all disappointments behind and were able to win,” Jefinho said.
On another solid day for United States athletes, Jake Williams scored 26 points as the men won the wheelchair basketball gold by beating Britain 73-69.
That made it three from three for the US in Games basketball after the men and women won thrilling finals against France at the Olympics last month, also at Bercy Arena.
Earlier, Germany’s men won the bronze-medal match against Canada 75-62.
Meanwhile, the US sitting volleyball team made it three golds straight by defeating China 3-1 in the women’s final. The Americans have won every title since 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
The US equestrian team won three more medals in Paralympics dressage, and Fiona Howard and Rebecca Hart clinched their third gold medals of the Paris Games.
American swimmer Jessica Long extended her mammoth Paralympics medal collection to 31 with gold in the S8 100m butterfly. She won in 1:10.59 at La Defense Arena, finishing one second clear of Viktoriia Ishchiulova. Britain’s Alice Tai was third. — AP
