Wang Yinan secures his fifth Paralympic gold medal by winning the 50m freestyle S8 final.
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In athletics, Sae Tsuji also made her Paralympic debut, winning the bronze medal in the women’s 400 meters for athletes with limb deficiencies. The Iranian side failed in all their efforts to equalize the result until Mehdi Jamai netted a goal in the 50th minute and the two team continued the duel in extra times.
Fast forward to Rio and Cowdrey and Freney are missing from the Australian swimming team.
The other golden success came in the individual dressage, as Sophie Christiansen and Natasha Baker defended their London titles. Both did so at the 1984 Games in NY, when the U.S. claimed 136 victories and Britain 107.
One caveat in the medal count is that the Russian team is absent, banned by the International Paralympic Committee for state-sponsored doping.
Blake, who finished second in the event back in London 2012, was handed a tricky draw in lane eight for the final.
Both swimmers won gold in the women’s 4x100m freestyle a day earlier, while Elliot nabbed another victory in the women’s 100m freestyle earlier in the week.
Her teammate Kare Adenegan, 15, then took bronze and by the close of events on Friday Paralympics GB had reached a total of 126 medals, surpassing their London haul.
An established star led one with supreme potential.
Britain began the day on 49 gold medals and 108 in all, before Paul Blake won a 50th gold in the T36 400m.
Britain’s first gold medal in the pool on Wednesday night was won by Michael Jones in the S7 400m freestyle, with team-mate Jonathan Fox taking silver. There were also four silvers.
Christiansen now has eight Paralympic titles.
Baker claimed Britain’s second equestrian gold medal of the Games.
She said: “It’s going really well, it’s exciting.it just goes to show that with support good things can be achieved”.
“It’s been an fantastic competition”.
Better still, there are another four full days of competition ahead, with guaranteed medals in the wheelchair tennis for Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett – playing together in the doubles final and head-to-head in the singles.
I came out thinking this is my last race of the year and to just go for it. I had to raise my eyes and thank him.
The 42-year-old from Welwyn Garden City was inspired to get into archery by watching American Matt Stutzman competing at London 2012. “Definitely a sense of pride (in) my horse, my support team, and that we actually went and did it in the arena when it mattered”.
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The 37-year-old has another opportunity on the track in the relay and in the marathon on Sunday’s final day. Stutzman was born without arms.
