Al-Qurashi Wins Gold in 100m Race at Paris 2024 Paralympic Games

Saudi athlete Abdulrahman Al-Qurashi won the gold medal in the T53 100m wheelchair race - SPA
Saudi athlete Abdulrahman Al-Qurashi won the gold medal in the T53 100m wheelchair race - SPA
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Al-Qurashi Wins Gold in 100m Race at Paris 2024 Paralympic Games

Saudi athlete Abdulrahman Al-Qurashi won the gold medal in the T53 100m wheelchair race - SPA
Saudi athlete Abdulrahman Al-Qurashi won the gold medal in the T53 100m wheelchair race - SPA

Saudi athlete Abdulrahman Al-Qurashi won the gold medal in the T53 100m wheelchair race at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, held at the Stade de France.
Al-Qurashi won the gold medal by finishing first with a new personal best of 14:48 seconds, leaving the silver medal to Thailand's Paeyo Pongsakorn, who finished with 14:66 seconds. The bronze medal went to Brazilian Ariosvaldo da Silva, who finished in 15:08 seconds, SPA reported.
With this gold medal, Al-Qurashi increased Saudi Arabia's Paralympic medal tally to six medals (two gold, two silver, and two bronze). He had previously won bronze in the 100m wheelchair race at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
This year's event was attended by Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee Secretary General Abdulaziz Baeshen and the accompanying delegation.



Life after Mbappé is Proving better than Expected for French Leader PSG

Kylian Mbappé of PSG celebrates after scoring the 0-2 goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain, in San Sebastian, Spain, 05 March 2024. (EPA)
Kylian Mbappé of PSG celebrates after scoring the 0-2 goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain, in San Sebastian, Spain, 05 March 2024. (EPA)
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Life after Mbappé is Proving better than Expected for French Leader PSG

Kylian Mbappé of PSG celebrates after scoring the 0-2 goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain, in San Sebastian, Spain, 05 March 2024. (EPA)
Kylian Mbappé of PSG celebrates after scoring the 0-2 goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain, in San Sebastian, Spain, 05 March 2024. (EPA)

Kylian Mbappé's departure was expected to sidetrack Paris Saint-Germain this season.

How would a team long viewed as over-reliant on the France superstar cope without him after his move to Real Madrid?

Who could score so freely for PSG when Mbappé averaged more than 40 goals per season over the past four campaigns and more than 250 in seven years at the club? And who would bail the team out of trouble with last-gasp winners?

Things have turned out rather well, so far, and the widely anticipated post-Mbappé headache has not materialized.

Far from it.

PSG is the only team to have won its first three games in the French league and has scored an impressive 13 goals, according to The AP.

No longer being so reliant on Mbappé seems to have produced an early side effect, whereby the goals are being shared around and teamwork has improved in coach Luis Enrique's side.

Bradley Barcola has led the way with four goals, adding a finishing touch to his skilful dribbling down the left, while his France teammate Randal Kolo Muani and South Korea forward Lee Kang-in have netted twice each.

France right winger Ousmane Dembélé has chipped in with a goal and two assists for the defending champion, while new signing João Neves leads the league with three assists.

Kolo Muani and Dembélé continued their form with France, each scoring on Monday in a 2-0 win against Belgium in the Nations League.

Behind the forwards, Portugal's Vitinha and France's Warren Zaïre-Emery form a solid midfield pairing along with the 19-year-old Neves, an offseason signing from Portuguese side Benfica.

For now, it seems like Mbappé's absence is being felt more keenly off the field than on it.

On Wednesday, he rejected a mediation offer by the French soccer league’s legal commission in his dispute with PSG over wages and bonuses.

PSG officials and Mbappé’s representatives met in Paris after Mbappé asked the commission to get involved. Mbappé, who joined Madrid on a free transfer, says the club owes him 55 million euros ($60 million). PSG said it was pleased with how the commission hearing went.

While PSG's power struggle with its ex-striker continues, PSG's current crop of forwards look for more goals when the team hosts Brest on Saturday before facing Spanish side Girona on Wednesday when the Champions League starts.

Mbappé is expected to make his European debut for Madrid the previous night, at home to Stuttgart.

He never won Europe's most prestigious club prize with PSG, but most observers would argue he has a far better chance of doing so with record 15-time champion Madrid.

At some point this season, their paths may cross again on the field.