Noura rounds up UAE's Rio Paralympics campaign

Reem Abulleil - Reporter/Sub-editor 21:09 18/09/2016

The UAE wrapped up its Rio 2016 Paralympics campaign with a bang as Noura Al Ktebi captured the silver medal in the F32 shot put late on Saturday.

A day after Sara Al Senaani became the first Emirati female to make the podium at any Paralympic or Olympic event by claiming F33  shot put bronze, Al Ktebi joined her compatriot in the history books by going one better in her event.

The 23-year-old, who had placed sixth in the F32 club throw a week earlier, grabbed the silver medal in the shot put with a 4.70m throw.

Tunisian Maroua Brahmi scooped her second gold in Rio with a throw of 5.76m, while Australian Louise Ellery took bronze with 4.19m.

Al Ktebi’s triumph means the UAE extended its record medal haul to seven in total – three more than the previous record tally amassed in Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.

UAE medals history

In Rio, powerlifter Mohammed Khamis Khalaf and wheelchair racer Mohamed Al Hammadi each won one gold, while Abdullah Sultan Al Aryani snagged three silvers in shooting, to go with the two medals earned by Al Senaani and Al Ktebi.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of these Games for the UAE is the fact that those seven medals were claimed by a squad that only had 18 competitors in total.

It’s also marks the first time medals were won across three different sports at a single Games.

Al Hammadi’s gold was the first for the UAE in an athletics event at the Paralympics while Al Aryani is the first Emirati to win three medals at the same edition.

UAE Paralympians have long outperformed the nation’s Olympians who have managed to win just two medals in total since debuting in 1984.

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