Tokyo Paralympics: Perth’s Ben Popham, medals and world records among top moments from opening week

We have passed the halfway mark of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and there have been no shortage of incredible moments - for both those donning the green and gold, and international athletes.

Over the first week, world records aplenty have fallen and a swathe of athletes have ensured they will be leaving Japan with something for the pool room. Here is the pick of the bunch from the first seven days.

Cyclists’ fast start ends in opening day medals

The first two gold medals at the Paralympics fell into Australian hands in a stunning morning session at the velodrome on day one.

Hours after breaking the C3 300m individual pursuit world record, Paige Greco won the games’ first gold medal, re-setting the world record she had already beaten earlier that day, Greco cruised to victory against against China’s Xiaomei Wang to get the ball rolling in Tokyo.

Not long after, it was a sense of déjà vu as Emily Petricola took out the C4 3000m individual pursuit, having also broken the world record in the heats.

Petricola raced out to a commanding lead and eventually overlapped American Shawn Morelli to end the race and claim the gold medal with just over 600m to spare.

A Masters at work

Perhaps the best story to unfold in Tokyo?

Oksana Masters won gold in the H4-5 time trial, but her win represented so much more. She nearly missed the games after being forced to undergo surgery earlier this year to remove a tumor from her femur, before finishing two minutes ahead of the rest of the field.

It was the 32 year-old’s ninth medal overall and incredibly, marked the fourth different sport she had medalled in at the Paralympics.

It was her second medal in the summer games, ending a nine-year wait after taking out a bronze in the rowing in 2012.

Since then, Masters has been a dominant force at the winter Paralympics, winning seven medals in Pyeongchang (2018) and Sochi (2014).

Just like her summer games exploits, those medals came across two sports, as she won two silvers in the biathlon and two golds, a silver and two bronzes in cross-country skiing.

The Pop star’s dual gold

The former Telethon kid entered the games as a medal chance, but the Perth boy looks set to end his debut Paralympics as one of Australia’s most successful athletes in Tokyo.

In his pet event, the S8 100m freestyle, Popham qualified fastest for the final and backed it up with a rousing gold medal swim in the final. 5th at the 50m turn, Popham cut through the field in the second half of the race to storm to an incredible victory.

It brought tears from the northern suburbs product as the enormity of his victory hit him, but he showed he still had plenty to give days later, as he anchored the Australian 4x100m freestyle 34 point team to a world record-setting win.

Holding an eight-second advantage at the final leg, Australia’s lead was halved by Italian S10 swimmer Stefano Raimondi with 50m to race.

But Popham held firm, staving off the Italian’s spirited fightback to break the world record and deliver another win for the green and gold.

Terrific ten for Kiwi Pascoe

New Zealander Sophie Pascoe continued to etch her name into the record books as her ascension to an all-time Paralympic legend looks set in stone.

Having made her debut as a 15 year-old in Beijing, Pascoe put the world on notice with three golds and a silver at her first Paralympics. She continued her dominance with three golds and three silver in London and backed it up with three more gold and another two silver in Rio.

With the chance to win her 10th gold medal in Tokyo, Pascoe first took out the bronze in the 100m backstroke S9 and in a hotly-contested 100m freestyle S9 final, she clung on to win an emotional gold in dramatic fashion.

She completed the Tokyo set with a silver 100m Breaststroke SB8 and still has a chance at two more medals in the 100m Butterfly S9 and the 200m Individual Medley SM9. Still just 28 years-old, she could add to her tally in Paris.

De Rozario breaks through

It took her four Paralympics, but WA’s Madison de Rozario finally claimed the elusive gold medal she had been chasing.

De Rozario finished fifth in the 5000m T54 first up, but rebounded from that with a superb performance in the 800m T53 final to finally win the gold she had wanted since Beijing.

The Willetton Senior High School graduate blitzed the rest of the field early to set up a comfortable victory – a win so dominant, even her own mum could not believe it.

De Rozario continued her hot streak with a bronze medal in the 1500m, and hopes to add to her haul in the marathon.

Inaugural gold for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka celebrated their first ever Paralympic gold medal in dramatic fashion, as Dinesh Priyantha Mudiyanselage secured a historic medal in the javelin F45. With world record holder and reigning Paralympic champion Devendra leading the final, the Sri Lankan stepped up to unleash a throw of 67.79m – a full five metres further than the rest of his throws.

Despite Devendra’s best efforts, it was enough for Mudiyanselage to take home the gold – an improvement on the bronze he won in the same event in Rio.

It is currently just one of two medals the Sri Lankan team have won in Tokyo, and Mudiyanselage’s medal ended a 25 year-wait for gold.