GB’s Dan Bethell wins Paralympics silver after nailbiting badminton battle
Dan Bethell came within one point of a Paralympic badminton gold but eventually had to settle for silver – just as he did at the Tokyo Games – after the narrowest of defeats to India’s Kumar Nitesh in the final of the SL3 men’s singles.
Bethell, the No 2 seed, lost the first set 21-14 to the top-ranked Nitesh but battled back to take the second 21-18 and set up a decider. The British player saved one match point at 19-20 down then set up one of his own at 21-20 but he could not seal the deal and Nitesh reeled off three points in succession to take the gold.
It means Britain’s wait for a badminton gold at the Paralympics goes on, though Krysten Coombs has the chance to end that wait on Monday evening in the final of the SH6 men’s singles.
Elsewhere at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena, Nigeria’s Mariam Eniola Bolaji became the first African athlete to win a badminton medal at a Games – Olympics or Paralympics – when she clinched bronze in the women’s singles SL3.
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At Roland Garros, Great Britain’s Gordon Reid eased into the men’s wheelchair tennis singles quarter-finals with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Japan’s Takuya Miki.