PARIS: National powerlifting champion Bonnie Bunyau Gustin, who will compete in the men's up to 72kg category at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena, is Malaysia's next gold medal hope at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
The national contingent also hopes that the venue gives them another dose of good fortune after para badminton ace Cheah Liek Hou secured Malaysia's first gold medal there, by defeating Indonesia's Suryo Nugroho 21-13, 21-15 in the men's singles SU5 (physical impairment) event on Monday.
On paper, the diminutive lifter from Sarawak has a strong chance of defending the gold medal he won at his Paralympic debut in the 2020 edition in Tokyo.
As the world record holder with a lift of 231 kilogrammes (kg) and a Paralympic record of 228kg, the 25-year-old athlete is the top favourite at Paris 2024 and defend his title.
Moreover, the gap between Bonnie's best lift and that of his closest rival, Donato Telesca from Italy, who has a best lift of 216kg, is significant.
Meanwhile, Malaysian para swimmer Muhammad Imaan Aiman Muhammad Redzuan, competing in the men's 100m backstroke S14 (intellectual impairment) event, has a chance to make waves in his Paralympic debut here.
After gaining attention for his resemblance to national footballer Muhammad Safawi Rasid, Muhammad Imaan Aiman, known for his style, will need to back up his popularity with a stellar performance at Paris 2024, which could once again put his name on the lips of sports fans across the country.
Muhammad Imaan Aiman is scheduled to compete in the third heat at 10.37 am (4.37 pm Malaysian time) at the Paris La Defense Arena.
Only the top eight swimmers from the three heats will advance to the final.
Meanwhile, para swimmer Muhammad Nur Syaiful Zulkafli, who was the only Malaysian athlete to compete on the eighth day of the Games, concluded his second Paralympic campaign by finishing seventh with a time of 34.34 seconds.
Nur Syaiful had earlier placed sixth in the men's 100m freestyle S5 with a time of 1 minute 16.60 seconds (s) and finished in the same position in the men's 100m breaststroke SB4 (physical impairment) with a time of 1:46.71s. – BERNAMA