David Henson finished third in 24.74secs.
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Swimmer Firth dominated the S14 200m freestyle to take gold in 2:03.30 ahead of team-mate Jessica-Jane Applegate.
And it was quickly followed by Joanna Butterfield, 37, who won Britain’s final medal of an epic day when she threw a F51 world record of 22.81m in the women’s club throw.
In the Olympic stadium, Hannah Cockroft took gold in the T34 100m final.
Sabrina Fortune claimed Britain’s 29th medal of the Games, with bronze in the F20 shot put.
Whitehead, 40, ensured he retained his title with a strong finish to keep South African Ntando Mahlangu in second place. Tom Aggar took bronze in the corresponding men’s event.
“Now I just want to celebrate, but I am not believing I am Paralympic champion yet so I don’t know how I’ll celebrate”. “It just goes to show if you have stuff drilled into you every day by the coaches and you do it you can win”.
He said: “I can’t ask for anything better, it is not a medal but it is as good as”.
“I thought London was quick but four years on the class has evolved”. I’ve got my wife and daughter watching at home.
“It’s been a tough journey but I’ve had incredible support”.
It was the first time a veteran injured in those conflicts has won Paralympic gold. I have done my best and come out at the top of my game.
There was disappointment for Sammi Kinghorn who finished sixth in the T53 400m, before being disqualified for a lane infringement.
ParalympicsGB’s flag bearer Lee Pearson made a strong start in the dressage, topping the team test event 1B with a score of 75.280%.
She switched to rowing in 2013 and now has three Paralympic medals across two sports, adding to the hand-cycling time trial gold she won in Beijing in 2008 and bronze at London 2012.
Those five gold medals increased the British Paralympic Association’s hopes that Great Britain will surpass the 120 medals won at London 2012 and achieve the nation’s most successful Games.
Marren and Claire Cashmore were the first two Brits to compete against each other in the pool.
Rowles and Whiteley led from start to finish to win their race, the most dominant victory of the day.
But she has fought back to become a Paralympic champion just three years later. “I’m so overwhelmed and it has been an fantastic experience”, she told Channel 4. I still had a great race and I’m really pleased with my effort.
Tang Wai Lok of Hong Kong won gold in 1:56.32 and Hamer took silver in 1:56.58.
“It’s quite sickening at the time – it’s nothing, just a fingertip”, he told Channel 4.
Rachel Morris is a Paralympic champion in a second sport after claiming rowing gold in Rio on Sunday.
The mixed coxed four then triumphed, before Lora Turnham won the B 3km individual pursuit in the velodrome.
Alison Patrick and her guide took silver and Melissa Reid and her guide Nicole Walters bronze as Australia’s Katie Kelly and her guide Michellie Jones won gold at Copacabana beach.
And GB’s Tom Aggar won bronze in the men’s armsshoulders single sculls.
There was another track and field silver, for Toby Gold in the T33 100m.
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Peacock lost a St Christopher necklace given to him by his mum and step-dad and a badge that belonged to his grandfather, but they were found on the track and returned to Peacock.
