Day eight of the Paralympics in Rio saw Algeria only compete in the Athletics events. However we saw brilliant performances from our athletes, as Nassima Saifi and Mohamed Fouad Hamoumou added two more medals for the north Africans.

Athletics:

A total of 14 athletes competed in the women’s discus throw – F56/57 final, in which two Algerians took part. It was the events winner Nassima Saifi who ended up taking the gold medal for Algeria, after getting very close to beating her previous world record that she achieved in the world championships. Saifi snatched the medal, in her third attempt, with a distance of 33.33, completely out-beating her opponents, as Ireland’s Orla Barry came second with a distance of 30.06.

Safia Djelal came very close to getting on the podium with Saifi, however her best attempt was a distance of 27.34, earning her the fourth place.

Abdellatif Baka, Fouad Baka & Mohamed Fouad Hamoumou all took part in the men’s T13 400 metres final. Gold medalist in the 1500 metres earlier this week, Abdellatif Baka, did not start the race due to unknown reasons. His brother however, Fouad Baka was very unlucky to not get onto the podium, alongside his brother, in the 1500 metres after he finished fourth, and was looking to at least do it this time in the 400 meters. But it wasn’t to be for the young Algerian, ending in fourth position once again. However Mohamed Fouad Hamoumou did make it onto the podium, after finishing ahead of Baka, with a time of 48.04, which earned him the bronze medal.

Sofiane Hamdi qualified in the first round of the men’s T37 400m, after finishing third with a time of 54.28.