The Finnish Paralympic team claimed its first medal at the Paris 2024 Games on Tuesday morning when Toni Piispanen finished second in the 200m - T51 final.
Piispanen's season's best time of 38.55 was enough to secure the silver medal, beating Belgium's Peter Genyn in third place by a fraction of a second in a thrilling finale.
"The quality was amazing and it turned out to be a top race. Things couldn't have gone any better than this because as we know, the past summer has been difficult," Piispanen told Yle after the race.
The silver means Piispanen is now a four-time Paralympic medalist, having secured a 100m gold in London in 2012 and a 200m gold as well as a 100m silver at the Tokyo games in 2021. He also set a new Paralympian record for the 200m event in Tokyo, with a time of 36.81.
The 48-year-old has previously stated his intention to retire from athletics after the Paris games, although he will compete in the 100m race on Friday.
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