Defending champion Tupou Neiufi will try to retain her S8 100m backstroke crown overnight at the Paris Paralympics.
Three years ago at her second Games, Neiufi, 23, was a somewhat surprising winner at Tokyo, but returns as a firm medal favourite, after also capturing silver at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and third at the 2023 world championships.
Her biggest rival will be Brit Alice Tai, a three-time world champion and Commonwealth Games winner, who missed the Tokyo Paralympics with an elbow injury.
Fresh from his fifth placing in the individual pursuit, Paralympics cyclist Devon Briggs will take on the event he currently reigns over as world champion at Paris.
Briggs, 20, will contest qualifying for the kilo time trial on Saturday evening, with the top six progressing to the final round beginning just before midnight NZT.
The Kiwi won the C1 crown at Rio de Janeiro earlier this year, setting a world record in the process, but suffered a huge setback to his Paralympics preparation, when he and teammate Ben Westenberg crashed in training two weeks ago.
The track cyclist has overcome a training crash to reach the startline. (Source: TVNZ)
Westenberg was forced out of the Games, while Briggs is nursing pelvic injuries in his bid to reach the startline. These ailments probably cost him a podium finish in the pursuit, where he missed the bronze-medal rideoff by less than one-tenth of a second to finish fifth.
He will be up against defending Olympic champion Jaco van Gass of Great Britain in the time trial.
On the athletics track, sprinter Danielle Aitchison faces the start for T36 200 metres heats at Stade de France. The Kiwi speedster currently holds the world record of 27.47s, set while winning the world title at Kobe this year, but she faces opposition from Brazilian veteran Veronica Hipolito, who set the previous mark (27.49s) more than a decade ago.
Athletes in action — Saturday, August 31
8.14pm
Swimming: Neiufi Tupou in women's S8 100m backstroke heats at La Defense Arena
8.19pm
Cycling: Devon Briggs in men's C1-3 kilo time trial qualifying at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome
8.30pm
Badminton: Wojtek Czyz v Daisuke Fujihara (Japan) in men's SL3 singles group play at Porte de la Rochelle Arena
10pm
Shooting: Neelam O'Neill in women's SH1 10m air pistol qualifying at Châteauroux
11.35pm
Cycling: Men's C1-3 kilo time trial final (Briggs) at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome
Sunday, September 1
12.45am
Shooting: Women's SH1 10m air pistol final (O'Neill) at Châteauroux
4.06am
Swimming: Women's S8 100m backstroke final (Neiufi) at La Defense Arena
7.50am
Athletics: Daniell Aitchison in women's T36 200 metres heats at Stade de France
Watch the Paralympics live on TVNZ+ and TVNZ1 from August 29-September 9.
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