This article contains notable highlights from the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China.
Calendar
September 6
Opening Ceremony
Day 1: September 7
The first gold medal of the Beijing Paralympics went to Slovakia's Veronika Vadovicova in shooting, in the 10 metre air rifle competition. In swimming, Natalie du Toit of South Africa won gold in the 100 metre butterfly event. The United States won four of the sixteen gold medals available in swimming on day one, more than any other country. After a strong performance at the Olympics, Great Britain won gold in all three of the first day events it had entered in cycling, with Simon Richardson, Darren Kenny, and the duo of Aileen McGlynn and Ellen Hunter. Of the four gold medals available for the first day in judo, the two women's went to China (Guo Huaping and Cui Na) and the two men's to Algeria (Mouloud Noura and Sidali Lamri), with all four wins being reported as unexpected.
Day 2: September 8
The women's T54 5000 metre race in athletics was marred by a spectacular crash just before the final lap, when six athletes collided in a pile-up, several of them damaging their wheelchairs in the process and thus being left unable to complete the race. The crash was reported to have been caused by Swiss athlete Edith Hunkeler colliding with fellow Swiss athlete Sandra Graf, whereupon athletes behind them piled up over them. Hunkeler suffered a broken collarbone in the accident. Reaching the 50 metre mark, remaining competitors were then impeded by officials running across the track to assist fallen athletes. The race was won by Canada's Diane Roy, and the medal ceremony was completed, before IPC officials announced that they had ruled in favour of an appeal lodged by three countries, and cancelled the results. Medallists were asked to relinquish their medals, and the race was rescheduled for September 12 (with Hunkeler being disqualified), amidst significant controversy. 13-year-old Eleanor Simmonds of Great Britain became the youngest ever individual Paralympic gold medallist when she won the 100m freestyle S6 event in swimming. Osamah Alshanqiti won Saudi Arabia's first ever Paralympic or Olympic gold medal, in the F12 triple jump, with a world record jump of 15.37 metres. The People's Republic of China relay team of Zong Kai, Zhao Ji, Zhang Lixin & Li Huzhao sets a new world record of 49.89 seconds in round 1, heat 1 of the men's 4 × 100 m, T53-54.
Day 3: September 9
Great Britain won five more gold medals in cycling, bringing its total to nine golds and one silver in cycling. Of Britain's six cycling competitors on day 3, five took gold and the sixth, Rik Waddon, took silver behind fellow British athlete Darren Kenny in the 1 km CP3 time trial. Haider Ali won Pakistan's first ever Paralympic medal, a silver in the F37/38 long jump, with a world record jump. Farhat Chida of Tunisia broke Ali's new world record to take gold. Laurentia Tan won Singapore's first ever Paralympic medal, a bronze in equestrian in the individual championship test Grade Ia. Oscar Pistorius of South Africa won the first of his three targeted gold medals, in the T44 100 metre sprint in athletics. Chantal Petitclerc of Canada sets a Paralympic record of 16.07 seconds in round 1, heat 1 of the women's 100m, T54. Men's 4 × 100 m relay, T53-54 – China (Zong Kai, Zhao Ji, Zhang Lixin & Li Huzhao) won in 49.90, ahead of Thailand (Supachoi Koysub, Konjen, Prawat Wahoram & Pichet Krungget), 51.93 and Republic of Korea (Hong Suk-Man, Jung Dong-Ho, Kim Gyu-Dae & Yoo Byung-Hoon), 53.52. Pakistani powerlifter Ahmed Butt was the first athlete to be expelled from the Beijing Paralympics after testing positive for steroid use.
Day 4: September 10
Women's 100m, T54 – Chantal Petitclerc of Canada won in 16.15 seconds, ahead of Liu Wenjun, China, 16.20 and Dong Hongjiao, China, 16.24. Men's 400m, T54—Zhang Lixin, China won in 45.07 seconds, a new world record, ahead of David Weir, Britain, 46.02 and Saichon Konjen, Thailand, 46.86.
Day 5: September 11
Women's 200m Individual Medley, SM9 - Natalie Du Toit from Republic of South Africa won with a world record of 2 minutes and 27.83 seconds, ahead of Stephanie Dixon, Canada, 2:37.54, and Louise Watkin, Great Britain, 2:40.31.