WALES witnessed a sporting weekend to remember as five Welsh athletes stood on the top step of the podium at the Paris Paralympics, each securing their first Paralympic gold medal within a remarkable 24-hour period. This achievement marks one of the most significant moments in Welsh sporting history, not just in disability sport, but across all sports.
Matt Bush’s Long-Awaited Triumph
The gold rush began late on Saturday night with Matt Bush, a 35-year-old from St Clears. A two-time Para-taekwondo world champion, Bush was competing in his first Paralympic Games after near-misses in previous years. Initially a javelin thrower, he was set to compete in the Rio 2016 Paralympics but was sidelined by injury. A similar fate befell him before the Tokyo 2020 Games. However, in Paris, his moment finally arrived. Competing in the men’s K44 +80kg category, Bush claimed victory with a dominant 5-0 win over Aliaskhab Ramazanov, becoming Great Britain’s—and Wales’—first-ever male Paralympic taekwondo champion.
“I wanted to win at almost all costs,” Bush told BBC Sport Wales. “The ups and downs in sport are real. So many athletes get injured and don’t make it. It’s come full circle for me—I’ve had major ups and downs and I’ve battled through it.”
Ben Pritchard’s Rowing Victory
The following morning, attention turned to the rowing lake, where Mumbles’ single sculler Ben Pritchard was in action. Pritchard, who had set a Paralympic record en route to the final, was up against reigning champion Roman Polianskyi from Ukraine. However, the Welshman was unstoppable, leading from start to finish and winning by over 10 seconds. This gold was a hard-earned reward for Pritchard, who had finished fifth in Tokyo and dedicated years to intense training since then. His journey to Paralympic success began after a life-changing bike crash during the Rio Paralympics, which set him on a new path in rowing.
“It’s been a three-year process [since Tokyo] in which we’ve broken down the 2000m race course,” Pritchard said. “A friend of mine in the Team GB cycling team, Dan Bigham, wrote a book called Start At The End and that’s where we started, working back from where we wanted to be. So a big thanks to him, as well as my psychologist, my coach, and my support staff.”
Welsh Duo Shine in the Velodrome
The velodrome also saw Welsh success, with James Ball and his pilot Steffan Lloyd clinching their first Paralympic title together. The pair, who teamed up in 2022, faced a formidable challenge against their GB teammates Neil Fachie and Matt Rotherham, who had beaten Ball and his previous pilot to the gold in Tokyo. However, in Paris, Ball and Lloyd triumphed, winning by a margin of 0.348 seconds and celebrating the biggest victory of their careers.
“It’s unbelievable,” Ball reflected. “The last time we won the kilo was in 2019. We’ve just been chasing them [Fachie and Rotherham]. Our partnership has had time to gel, and we’ve been working hard to match them in the first 500m, which we didn’t have before. We’ve been working for this for a long time, and it has paid off today.”
Sabrina Fortune’s Shot Put Success
Sabrina Fortune, another Welsh athlete, claimed her first Paralympic gold in the women’s F20 shot put. Having won bronze in Rio 2016 and finishing fifth in Tokyo due to an injury-affected build-up, Fortune had since established herself as the world’s best. She broke the world record on her way to winning her third world title in May, and then shattered it again on her first throw in Paris with a 15.12m effort that secured the gold.
“I’ve been going for this since Rio,” said the 27-year-old from Flintshire. “Ever since I was a little girl, I didn’t expect—with my learning disability—to do an event like this. To be able to go on the world stage is a crazy experience, and it’s something I’m so proud to have been able to do.”
Rhys Darbey’s Golden Debut
The weekend’s final gold came from 17-year-old Rhys Darbey, competing in his first Paralympic Games. Darbey, alongside Will Ellard, Poppy Maskill, and Olivia Newman-Baronius, helped Great Britain secure gold in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay S14 final. Remarkably, all four team members are still teenagers, and Darbey’s win, following Fortune’s, meant that two athletes from Flintshire won gold medals within minutes of each other.
“It’s great—one race, one gold,” Darbey said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do in LA [in 2028]. Everyone in this team is under 20. Hopefully that world record can be ours. I’ve got my 200m IM later on this week, so getting this out of the way is a relief and a weight off my shoulders.”
This unforgettable weekend has undoubtedly secured a special place in Welsh sporting history, highlighting the incredible talent and determination of Welsh athletes on the world stage.
