The Blues in the blind football final, Nantenin Keïta on track, objective 8 for Alexandre Léauté… The meetings of Saturday September 7

A new shower of medals is expected for the French delegation on this penultimate day of the Paralympic Games, with a very busy program.

For the tenth and penultimate day of competition at the Paralympic Games, Saturday, September 7, France can still hope for several medals. At the Stade de France, the French athletes, including flag bearer Nantenin Keïta, will try to increase their tally, as will the swimmers at Paris la Défense Arena, and the cyclists at Clichy-sous-Bois. Another highlight expected this Saturday: the men’s blind football final between France and Argentina, starting at 8 p.m.

The three events not to be missed: blind football, mixed relay and wheelchair fencing

Having beaten Colombia (1-0) on Thursday, the French team in blind football have a date with history on Saturday at 8pm. Twelve years after their silver medal in London, the only one in the French record in this discipline, the French team will face Argentina in the final, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, in a stadium with a unique atmosphere, where they seem transcended. But the Blues will not be favourites in this final against the Argentinians, who beat the Brazilian giant (five-time defending champion since the introduction of blind football at the 2004 Games). Paralympic vice-champion, Argentina is hoping to finally win gold, after having won two silver and two bronze medals in five editions.

Another major event for the French delegation, the semi-final of the para table tennis of Luca Didier, (category MS9). At just 21 years old, the young French prodigy, brother of the multi-medal para swimmer Ugo Didier, already has a medal assured, after the carnage that struck the French delegation in the quarter-finals. Facing the Australian Ma Lin, world number two, the para-pongist will aim for a place in the final to win his first Paralympic gold medal, from 11am. His brother Ugo will also be in the running with the 4x100m medley relay from 8:34pm.

To finish, head to the Grand Palais, with another French team to watch: the wheelchair fencing team. Facing Great Britain in the quarter-finals, the French épée fencers will be on the track from 12:40 p.m., a few minutes after the women’s épée fencers, who do not yet know their opponent at this stage of the competition. With already a bronze medal under their belt thanks to the men’s foil fencers, the Blues can inflate their tally a little more, three years after Tokyo (1 medal), and return to their standards (3 medals in Rio, 5 medals in London).

The three Frenchmen to watch: Nantenin Keïta, Alexandre Léauté and Helios Latchoumanaya

Flag bearer for the French delegation, Nantenin Keïta will compete on Saturday in her last Paralympic race in her favourite distance: the 400m. The Frenchwoman qualified for the final of the T13 category with the fifth overall time in the series, in 57 seconds and 67 hundredths, more than a second behind the third. Eliminated in the series of the 100m T3, the Frenchwoman will aim for a fifth Paralympic medal, after the gold in the 400m in Rio, the silver in the 200m in Beijing, and the bronze in the 400m in Beijing and the 100m in London.

Double reigning world champion in parajudo in the -90 kg J2 (visually impaired), but also double reigning European champion, Helios Latchoumanaya will make his debut on the tatamis of the grand ephemeral palace. Bronze medalist in Tokyo, the 24-year-old from Tarbes comes to Paris for the gold, and nothing else. Especially since he will literally be playing at home, as a resident of INSEP licensed to AS Bourg-la-Reine.

Another French star of the day: Alexandre Léauté. Already a triple medallist in paracycling at his Games (gold in the pursuit on the track and in the time trial, bronze in the kilometre on the track), the man with now 7 Paralympic medals will aim for an eighth during the road race (C1-3), starting at 9:30 am. He will be supported by Thomas Peyroton-Dartet, gold medallist in the time trial, and also a candidate for first place.

The full program and finals:

Phryge futée sees red for a very dense penultimate day of the Paralympic Games, with medals to be distributed in many disciplines. In paracycling on the track, five races are planned, while para-athletics will punctuate the day. From 10am, a shower of finals is expected at the Stade de France. Whether in the long jump, shot put and javelin, or on the track (100m, 200m, 400m, 800m…): there will be something for everyone.

Same thing for the evening session, as well as in para-swimming from 5:30 p.m. We will also follow the many para-canoe races on the program, between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Also to follow are the women’s wheelchair basketball final between Great Britain and Germany, at 7:15 p.m., and the sitting volleyball final between China and the United States, from 7:30 p.m.

On which channels can you follow the events on France Télévisions?

On France 2, from 9:30 a.m.
On France 3, from 12:55 p.m.
And to follow on france.tv throughout the day

Broadcast times are subject to change.