The New Zealand swimmer Sophie Pascoe has won a gold medal in the 100 metres backstroke S10 at the Rio Paralympics.
Sophie Pascoe wins gold at Rio 2016 Paralympics. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Pascoe finished nearly a full second ahead of Bianka Pap of Hungary and Alice Tai of Great Britain.
She went into the final having qualified fastest in the heats.
Pascoe regained the title she lost in London four years ago, but says she found the final pretty tough.
"I went out in the first 50 metres pretty much towards race plan and then the last 50 metres was hard and they came back in the last 25 [metres]," she said.
"It was just about guts and digging deep. Tonight was about coming out and getting the gold medal and that is exactly what I have done.
"It has been eight years since I had this gold in my hands so great to finally have this back and to be able to share this moment with family and support staff that have been along the journey every step of the way."
The 23 year old Christchurch swimmer won a silver medal in the 50 freestyle on Saturday.
Pascoe has another three events to compete in yet.
Mary Fisher finished fourth in the women's 400 freestyle S11.
The result follows her gold medal in the women's 100m Backstroke S11 in World Record time yesterday.
Fisher said she was content with today's fourth place.
"I'm really happy with my performance because I could not have gone any faster today," she said.
"It was an improvement on this morning's heat... To back up from yesterday it was a solid performance.
"In the 100 [metres] backstroke yesterday it just went as much to plan as I could have hoped and today I gave it my all and kudos to the girls who medalled today."
In other results cyclist Kate Horan was sixth in the women's 500 metre F37, shooter Michael Johnson was fifth in the R4 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Standing SH2, shooter Greg Reid was seventh in the R3 Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH1 and Caitlin Dore was 7th in the women's Javelin F37.
-RNZ
