Team China teen Jiang earns 7th gold in Paris
Teenage Chinese swimmer Jiang Yuyan collected her seventh gold of the Paris Paralympics on Saturday as she helped the national team top the swimming medals table. Jiang, 19, who lost her right arm and leg in a car accident at the age of four, landed gold number seven by breaking the Paralympic world record in the women's 100m backstroke S6 to defeat US defending champion Jessica Long on the final day of the swimming programme. She was one of a trio of Chinese swimmers who won titles in a 30-minute period as Paris 2024 said goodbye to La Defense Arena, one of the most atmospheric of the venues for the Olympics and Paralympics. Team China then collected a further six medals, including a sweep of the podium in the women's 200m individual medley SM5, ensuring they finished top of swimming's medals table for a fourth straight Games. "It's really incredible for me," said Jiang. "I just finish each small goal, then have a rest and start again. I don't overthink it, I just do it." "(Improving) the world record is a new challenge for me in the future. From now on, my competitor is myself," she added. The wheelchair fencing finished at the Grand Palais, a venue that has spawned millions of social media photos since it debuted at the Olympics, as China's women won the epee team gold. With several events still to be decided on the penultimate day of competition remaining, China led the medals table with 94 golds, Great Britain were second on 47 golds and the USA were third with 35. (AFP)