PARIS: Paralympic superstar Bebe Vio was denied gold for a second time on Thursday as Italy had to settle for a wheelchair fencing team bronze medal, while the USA cruised into the final of the men's wheelchair basketball tournament.
Two-time individual champion Vio was defeated in her semi-final of the women's foil on Wednesday in one of the biggest shocks of these Games.
The Italian, who uses prosthetic arms having had all four limbs amputated as a child when she contracted meningitis, managed to salvage a bronze medal in that event.
On Thursday, Vio's hopes of taking advantage of a second opportunity to win gold in the team event were dashed as Italy lost 45-41 by China in a hard-fought semi-final contest.
The Italian went on to win a bronze medal by beating Hong Kong and Vio congratulated her teammates in her customary euphoric style, but despite increasing her overall Paralympic medal total to six these Games have undoubtedly been a disappointment for the 27-year-old.
Another global face of the Paralympic movement, Oksana Masters, won her second gold in Paris as the Ukrainian-born US cyclist took the H5 road race title. Masters now has eight Paralympic golds.
In other sports, the USA men's wheelchair basketball team easily beat Canada 80-43 to set up a final against Great Britain on Saturday.
The reigning champions never looked in trouble against 2012 champions Canada as Brian Bell hit 31 points to lead all scorers.
The British showed they have the firepower to challenge the Americans as they reached the final for the first time since 1996 by defeating Germany 71-43 thanks to an outstanding 35-point performance from sharp-shooting Gregg Warburton.
French President Emmanuel Macron was in the crowd at the Stade de France to watch the athletics action as Australian double amputee Vanessa Low bettered her own world record with a jump of 5.45 metres in the women's T61 long jump.
Wheelchair tennis enjoyed two historic moments.
Yui Kamji and Manami Tanaka became the first Japanese women to win a Paralympic gold in the event, ending the Netherlands' run of eight successive titles as they beat Diede de Groot and Aniek van Koot in three sets at Roland Garros.
Earlier Guo Luoyao and Wang Ziying won a first ever Paralympics wheelchair tennis medal for China when they took bronze in the women's doubles.
Turkey won gold in the women's goalball, defeating Israel 8-3 to claim their third consecutive Paralympic title.
Japan won the men's goalball title for the first time as a golden goal from Sano Yuto gave them a 4-3 victory.
In sitting volleyball, 8ft 1in Morteza Mehrzad played a key role as Iran beat Egypt 3-1 in the semi-final to earn a return to the final where they will face Bosnia as they attempt to win a third consecutive title.
Ukraine meanwhile claimed a gold and two bronze medals as judo action began.
Nataliya Nikolaychuk, 37, won the women's -48kg J1 for athletes with partial sight and bronze medals for Anzhela Havrysiuk in the women's -57kg J1 class and Davyd Khorava in the men's -60kg completed the impressive opening display for the war-torn country whose athletes have faced huge obstacles in preparing for the Games.
China stretched their lead in the medals table as they advanced to 74 golds with Great Britain second on 36 and the USA third with 27. --AFP