After a day of rain, the purple track at the Stade de France, still glistening with moisture, set the stage for a series of record-breaking performances on the opening night of athletics at the Paris Paralympics.

China's Di Dongdong broke a decade-old world record while successfully defending his men's long jump T11 title. His leap of 6.85 meters surpassed the previous record of 6.73m, set by Lex Gillette of the United States in 2014.

In the women's club throw F32, Poland's Roza Kozakowska obliterated her own world record by more than two meters, with a 31.30m throw on her first attempt.

Yayesh Gate Tesfaw (2nd R) of Ethiopia and her guide Kindu Sisay Girma (1st R) compete during the para athletics women's 1500m T11 final at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, France, Sept. 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

On the other side of the venue, Brazil's Petrucio Ferreira dos Santos celebrated with a triumphant backward somersault after cementing his status as the fastest Paralympic sprinter on the planet. Defying the rain-soaked conditions, he won the men's 100m T47 for the third consecutive Games, crossing the finish line in 10.68 seconds.

At the Paris Paralympics, athletes from around the world are showcasing an extraordinary spirit of resilience and determination. For the seasoned veterans, in particular, it is this relentless pursuit of excellence that makes them shine so brightly on the global stage.

Jan Riapos from Slovakia, 55, became one of the Paralympic Games' oldest gold medalists as he and partner Peter Lovas won the men's doubles table tennis MD4 final at the South Paris Arena on Saturday.

"I felt peace inside," said Riapos, who is also chairperson of the Slovakia Paralympic Committee, and has become the most decorated Slovak Olympic or Paralympic athlete. "Peace in my heart, peace in my soul, peace in my body. I felt strong."

It took 60-year-old Thomas Wandschneider from Germany 103 minutes to beat China's 24-year-old Yang Tong 2-1 in a para badminton men's singles WH1 match at La Chapelle Arena on Saturday — the longest badminton match in Paralympic Games history.

"For more than 20 years, I have been doing a lot of physical training and I always give 100 percent and more," he said. "I did a medical test five weeks ago and the doctor said, 'you have a heart like a 40-year-old'. I'm (almost)61. It's crazy."

Experience doesn't always guarantee victory, but the spirit of relentless pursuit remains constant. On Saturday, 38-year-old wheelchair racer Marcel Hug of Switzerland saw the dream of repeating his four-event heroics at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games slip away in a dramatic 5,000m T54 final at the Stade de France, as American Daniel Romanchuk surged past him in the final stretch.

"I tried to win, but I knew it would be difficult," Hug reflected. "It was a very strong field, and Daniel is an outstanding sprinter."

He has another chance to add to his two golds from Rio and four from Tokyo on Wednesday, in the T54 1,500m final.

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