Song Lingling, also of China, registered a time of 1:21.43 to blow away the women’s 100m backstroke S6 world record on her way to victory over Paralympic and world champion team-mate Lu Dong, who posted 1:21.65. And the 26-year-old really means it, because less than three years after taking up the sport, she will be representing Great Britain on the biggest stage of all.
Advertisement
“I think it may be partly because in the swimming there is no diving tank on the side so it is a faster pool”, he added.
Dame Sarah Storey’s 12th Paralympic gold was the highlight of an opening day which saw Britain win three of the four events in the velodrome as ParalympicsGB emulated the track dominance of Team GB at last month’s Olympics.
Dias went on to win six golds – all in world record-breaking time – at the 2012 Paralympics in London.
Reid, who also took long jump silver and 200m bronze at London 2012, finished second to France’s Marie-Amelie Le Fur, who won with a world record leap of 5.83m. Despite the drama, she went on win the final after being reinstated on appeal.
There was a gold for Jason Smyth – his third in succession – in the T13 100 metres on the athletics track.
Australian Matthew Cowdrey has won 23 medals, the most for a male swimmer, with 13 of them gold – a mark Dias seems likely to pass.
Two and a half days into the Rio 2016 Paralympics and 65 world records have fallen.
The 27-year-old from Alton, Hampshire said: “I am a Paralympic gold medallist, it is an wonderful feeling”.
“It was more emotional than I could have imagined”, he said afterwards.
Kadeena Cox claimed bronze behind Hahn and later on Saturday will bid for gold on the cycling track.
Para-triathlon i sone of the sports making their debut in Rio and Britain have a handful of medal hopefuls including Andy Lewis and Ryan Taylor.
Speaking after his win, the Glasgow Caledonian University student said: “It’s always been a goal of mine since I was young to win a Paralympic medal, so I’m very pleased, it feels special”. Like Ellie Simmonds, the Northampton schoolgirl has achondroplasia. Now she too has a Paralympic gold.
She was inspired by Simmonds at London 2012 and competes in the same class.
“It’s so weird, it’s not sunk in yet”, Robinson said.
Thornhill added: “Yes, I got a tweet off Manchester United. I wouldn’t have been able to reach elite level in able bodied sport but I love sport so much and wheelchair basketball has given me the chance to pursue a career and follow my dream”.
Smyth, who can not claim a third straight double as the T13 200m was removed from the programme, said: “It never gets tiring coming to the Paralympic Games and crossing the line first”. I wanted to give something back to sport so became a swimming teacher and coach.
Advertisement
And Eoghan Clifford took bronze in the velodrome in the men’s C3 3km individual pursuit.
