SWIMMER David Roberts won his tenth Paralympic title and equestrian rider Lee Pearson secured a 100 per cent success rate from three Games as Great Britain celebrated another golden day in Beijing.
Helene Raynsford and Tom Aggar won the first-ever Paralympic rowing finals after shooter Matt Skelhon had begun the gold rush.
Roberts' third success from three events in his third Games followed before Sophie Christiansen and Pearson won an equ
estrian gold in Hong Kong.
But an athletics gold at the Bird's Nest Stadium remains elusive after multiple world champion wheelchair racer David Weir picked up bronze.
Three further bronzes were won in the Water Cube through Sam Hynd, Heather Frederiksen and Louise Watkin and the mixed coxed fours rowers were third, while equestrian riders Anne Dunham, Ricky Balshaw and Simon Laurens each won silver at Sha Tin.
The haul of six golds took Britain's total to 27, with a total tally of 57 after five days of competition, behind only hosts China, who have 33 and 96.
The day's highlight came at the National Aquatics Center when Roberts, who won three titles in Sydney and four in Athens, added his third gold of the Games to move within one of Welsh compatriot, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, on the all-time record list.
The 28-year-old from Pontypridd, who has cerebral palsy, defended a title he won in Greece for the third time, winning the men's S7 400 metres freestyle in four minutes 51.35 seconds, lowering the official world record but more than two seconds outside his personal best, which is yet to be ratified by the International Paralympic Committee.
Retired wheelchair racer Grey-Thompson won 11 golds in five Games but her title has been changed to Britain's most-medalled female Paralympian after the recently updated IPC archive revealed swimmer Mike Kenny won 16 titles in the 1970s and 1980s. However, there is contention over when the modern Paralympics began – many of Kenny's titles came in a 25-metre pool – and the accuracy of prior records with Barcelona in 1992, the first Games under the control of the IPC.
But Roberts, who competes for a hat-trick of 50m freestyle titles – he won in 2000 and 2004 – on Sunday before Monday's medley relay, where victory could see him overtake Grey-Thompson, is nonplussed.
"It's not about records, it's about doing my best and winning the medals," said Roberts. "It's never, ever been my goal. I'm a guy from a small town in the Valleys – this is completely unbelievable for me."
Pearson won three golds in both Sydney and Athens but entered his third Games on his inexperienced horse Gentleman. But he exceeded his own expectations by extending his unbeaten run after winning the freestyle test grade Ib with a score of 77.057 per cent.
"I want to cry, but I can't," said the 34-year-old from Staffordshire, who has a condition called arthrogryposis which inhibits the development of muscles. "I rode my heart out – I'm over the moon with my 100 per cent success rate."
Balshaw was second behind Pearson while the team claimed another one-two when Christiansen won the grade Ia individual freestyle test ahead of Dunham.
Raynsford became the first ever Paralympic rowing gold medallist with an emphatic victory in the women's single sculls, 12.51secs clear of the field.
"I knew if I could get out of the start as quick as I could and get into the lead I could do it," she said. "It is absolutely amazing."
Raynsford's triumph was swiftly followed by success for Aggar, who won the men's single sculls with a time of 5:22.09, nearly six seconds quicker than his nearest rival.
The full article contains 626 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
