ParalympicsGB claim 21 medals on day nine
It was another successful day for ParalympicsGB at Rio 2016 with 21 medals won, including milestone podium finishes on the track at the Olympic Stadium.
It all started in the first athletics session with Paul Blake’s victory in the 400m T36 final bringing up ParalympicsGB’s 50th gold medal in Rio.
And then later in the evening, Hannah Cockroft and Kare Adenegan won gold and bronze respectively in the 800m T34 to surpass the total of 120 medals won at London 2012. Dan Greaves’ discus bronze was the fourth athletics medal of the day.
It was also a busy day at the equestrian centre including gold for Lee Pearson (Individual Freestyle Test Grade Ib), Sophie Christiansen (Individual Freestyle Test Grade Ia) and Natasha Baker (Individual Freestyle Test Grade II) plus silvers for Sophie Wells (Individual Freestyle Test Grade IV) and Anne Dunham (Individual Freestyle Test Grade Ia). The team’s gold medal was also confirmed.
David Smith moved himself level with Nigel Murray as Britain’s most successful Boccia player with gold in the mixed individual BC1 class, John Walker won individual archery gold and Gordon Reid got the better of teammate Alfie Hewett to claim the men’s wheelchair tennis singles title.
Andrew Mullen won 50m backstroke S5 silver, Hannah Russell took bronze in the 100m freestyle S13 and the action in the pool was rounded off with gold and world record for the women’s 4x100m medley relay team.
While there were also bronzes for David Stone (men’s cycling road race T1-2) and the the men’s table tennis team.
Day 10 preview
Saturday sees the sailing medals decided with defending champion Helena Lucas leading the standings in the one-person keelboat and Alex Rickham and Niki Birrell in a three-way tussle for silver in the two-person keelboat.
Switching from the water to two wheels and Dame Sarah Storey will be aiming to successfully defend her women's road race C4-5 title and win her 14th gold overall - although she will be up against familiar faces in team-mates Kadeena Cox and Crystal Lane.
The former has already made history in Rio by becoming the first Britain to win gold medals in two different sport at the same Games since 1984 and has four medals already, while Lane won individual pursuit silver all the way back on day one.
Also going on the bike will be double Rio gold medallists Steve Bate and guide Adam Duggleby plus silver medallist Neil Fachie and Pete Mitchell in the men's road race B while Lora Turnham and Corrine Hall go in the women's race.
It's a busy penultimate programme of athletics including reigning European 200m T35 champion Maria Lyle chasing a third Rio medal while Paul Blake - winner of ParalympicsGB's 50th gold medal on Friday in the 400m T36 - will be looking to upgrade on his London 2012 bronze in the 800m.
Over at the Olympic Aquatics Centre, it's the last day of swimming action with no fewer than 11 Brits in action in the heats.
Ellie Simmonds looks to add to the Beijing gold and London silver she won in the 100m freestyle S6 although she will face competition from European bronze medalist and teammate Ellie Robinson, while Bethany Firth could take her tally of medals won in Rio to four in the 200m individual medley SM14.
The focus will also be on the Rio Olympic Arena to see if ParalympicsGB men's wheelchair basketball team can go one better than their female counterparts and clinch bronze in their match against Turkey.
The mixed wheelchair rugby team also face Sweden in the 5th-6th classification match while at the Sambodromo there are individual quarter-final matches for Vicky Jenkins, Jess Stretton and Jo Frith plus a semi-final for the mixed team.
