Swimmer Jesse Reynolds will be the first Kiwi in action, as the Tokyo Paralympics begin on Wednesday.
Reynolds will contest the 400m freestyle at Tokyo Aquatics Centre - the same venue that hosted the Olympics swimming competition a month ago.
Competing without a lower right leg, Reynolds, 24, has been part of the NZ Paralympic programme since 2009, when he won a bronze medal over 400m at the Paralympic Youth Games in Melbourne.
He competed at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, narrowly missing the podium twice at the latter, and will return to the pool several times during these Games, contesting four events.
Also in action on Wednesday, para-cyclists Anna Taylor, Sarah Ellington and Nicole Murray face individual pursuit qualifying and finals on the track, while the Wheel Blacks take on Rio silver medallists USA in wheelchair rugby.
Athletes compete in classifications based on the nature and severity of their impairments. The full NZ schedule (NZ times) and classifications for the Tokyo Paralympics are:
Wednesday, August 25
SWIMMING
Men’s 400m freestyle heats - Jesse Reynolds (S9), 4m 30.34s 7th (did not progress)
CYCLING
Women’s 3000m individual pursuit qualifying - Sarah Ellington (C2), 4m 12.506s 11th (did not progress)
Women’s 3000m individual pursuit qualifying - Anna Taylor (C4), 3m 54.167s 5th (did not progress)
Women’s 3000m individual pursuit qualifying - Nicole Murray (C5), 3m 45.010s 4th (progressed to bronze medal race)
Women’s 3000m individual pursuit bronze medal race - Nicole Murray (C5) 3m 44.482 lost to Marie Patouillet (France) 3m 39.233s (fourth)
WHEELCHAIR RUGBY
2:30pm Group B - Wheel Blacks (Mixed) lost to USA 63-35
Thursday, August 26
SWIMMING
Women’s 100m breaststroke heats - Sophie Pascoe (SB8), 2nd 1m 21.75s (progresses to final)
Women’s 100m breaststroke final - Sophie Pascoe (SB8), 2nd 1m 20.32s (silver medal)
WHEELCHAIR RUGBY
Group B - Wheel Blacks lost to Great Britain (Mixed) 60-37
Friday, August 27
SWIMMING
Women’s 100m backstroke final - Tupou Neiufi (S8), 1st 1m 16.84s (gold medal)
CYCLING
Women’s C4-5 500m time trial final - Anna Taylor (C4), 6th 37.657s
Women’s C4-5 500m time trial final - Nicole Murray (C5), 8th 39.140s
WHEELCHAIR
Group B - Wheel Blacks lost to Canada (Mixed) 51-36
ATHLETICS
Men’s shot put final - Ben Tuimaseve (F37), 9th 13.31m (Oceania record)
Saturday, August 28
WHEELCHAIR RUGBY
7th/8th classification playoff - Wheel Blacks (Mixed) lost to Denmark 56-53 (eighth)
ATHLETICS
Women’s Shot Put final - Lisa Adams (F37), 1st 15.12m (Paralympic record, gold medal)
Women’s Shot Put final - Caitlin Dore (F37), 8th 9.03m
Women’s 200m heats - Danielle Aitchison (T36), 1st 30.12s (progresses to final)
Sunday, August 29
ATHLETICS
3:10pm Women’s 200m final - Danielle Aitchison (T36)
Monday, August 30
SHOOTING
11:30am Mixed 10m air rifle standing qualifying & finals - Michael Johnson (SH2)
SWIMMING
Noon Men’s 100m backstroke heats - Jesse Reynolds (S9)
Noon Women’s 100m backstroke heats - Sophie Pascoe (S9)
8pm Men’s 100m backstroke final - Jesse Reynolds (S9)
8pm Women’s 100m backstroke final - Sophie Pascoe (S9)
ATHLETICS
10pm Men’s long jump final - William Stedman (T36)
Tuesday, August 31
CYCLING
Women's time trial - Anna Taylor (C4) did not finish
Women's time trial - Sarah Ellington (C2), 10th 30m 09.02s
Women’s time trial - Nicole Murray (C5), 6th 41m 45.50s
Women’s time trial - Eltje Malzbender (T1), 5th 44m 57.21s
Men’s time trial - Stephen Hills (T2), 8th 32m 26.36s
Men’s time trial - Rory Mead (H2), 5th 36m 53.78s
SWIMMING
Women’s 100m freestyle heats - Sophie Pascoe (S9), 1st 1m 03.75s (progresses to final)
Women’s 100m freestyle final - Sophie Pascoe (S9), 1st 1m 02.37s (gold medal)
ATHLETICS
Men’s 400m final - William Stedman (T36), 3rd 54.75s (bronze medal)
Women’s 200m heats - Anna Steven (T64), 5th 28.60s (Oceania record, progresses to final)
Women’s 200m final - Anna Steven (T64), 8th 28.88s
Wednesday, September 1
SWIMMING
Noon Men’s 200m individual medley heats - Jesse Reynolds (SM9)
Noon Women’s 100m breaststroke heats - Nikita Howarth (SB7)
Noon Women’s 50m freestyle heats - Tupou Neiufi (S8)
Noon Women’s 200m individual medley heats - Sophie Pascoe (SM9)
8pm Men’s 200m individual medley final - Jesse Reynolds (SM9)
8pm Women’s 100m breaststroke final - Nikita Howarth (SB7)
8pm Women’s 50m freestyle final - Tupou Neiufi (S8)
8pm Women’s 200m individual medley final - Sophie Pascoe (SM9)
CYCLING
12:30pm Men’s road race - Rory Mead (H2)
ATHLETICS
12:30pm Women’s 100m heats - Danielle Aitchison (T36)
10pm Women’s 100m final - Danielle Aitchison (T36)
SHOOTING
12:30pm Mixed 10m air rifle prone qualifying & finals - Michael Johnson (SH2)
Thursday, September 2
SWIMMING
Noon Men’s 100m butterfly heats - Jesse Reynolds (S9)
Noon Women’s 100m butterfly heats - Sophie Pasce (S9)
8pm Men’s 100m butterfly final - Jesse Reynolds (S9)
8pm Women’s 100m butterfly final - Sophie Pasce (S9)
CYCLING
12:30pm Women’s road race - Anna Taylor (C4)
12:30pm Women’s road race - Nicole Murray (C5)
12:30pm Women’s road race - Eltje Malzbender (T1)
12:30pm Men’s road race - Stephen Hills (T2)
CANOE
12:30pm Men’s heats - Scott Martlew (KL2)
12:30pm Men’s heats - Scott Martlew (VL3)
12:30pm Men’s heats - Corbin Hart (KL3)
ATHLETICS
10pm Women’s 100m heats - Anna Steven (T64)
Friday, September 3
SWIMMING
Noon Women’s 50m butterfly heats - Nikita Howarth (S7)
8pm Women’s 50m butterfly final - Nikita Howarth (S7)
CYCLING
12:30pm Women’s road race - Sarah Ellington (C2)
ATHLETICS
12:30pm Women’s long jump final - Anna Grimaldi (T47)
10pm Women’s javelin final - Holly Robinson (F46)
10pm Women’s 100m final - Anna Steven (T64)
CANOE
12:30pm Men’s semi-finals & final - Scott Martlew (KL2)
12:30pm Men’s semi-finals & final - Corbin Hart (KL3)
Saturday, September 4
CANOE
12:30pm Men’s semi-finals & final - Scott Martlew (VL3)
SHOOTING
12:30pm Mixed 50m rifle prone qualifying & finals - Michael Johnson (SH2)
ATHLETICS
10pm Women’s discus final - Lisa Adams (F37)
Paralympic classifications
Each athlete is given a classification, depending on the severity of their impairment. Here is a brief summary of classifications for the NZ Paralympic team...
ATHLETICS
T36 = Track, cerebral palsy
T47 = Track, arm deficiency
T64 = Track, prosthetic leg
F37 = Field, cerebral palsy
F46 = Field, arm deficiency
CANOE
KL2 = Kayak, partial trunk & leg function
KL3 = Kayak, trunk & partial leg function
VL2 = Va'a, partial trunk & leg function
CYCLING
T1 = Tricycle, traumatic brain injury
T2 = Tricycle, brain injury
C2 = Bicycle, spinal injury
C4 = Bicycle, partial loss of power
C5 = Bicycle, limb deficiency
H2 = Handcycle, spinal injury
SHOOTING
SH2 = Rifle, arm impairment from spinal injury
SWIMMING
S7/SB7/SM7 = Swimming, double arm deficiency
S8/SB8/SM8 = Swimming, left-side paralysis
S9/SB9/SM10 = Swimming, leg deficiency below knee
In swimming, some impairments affect some strokes more than others, hence multiple classifications.
