Sophie Christiansen and Natasha Baker defended their 2012 Paralympic titles in the dressage competition.

“I’ve always wanted to do my best at everything I put my hand to – academics, sport. It’s going to sound big-headed but I think you have to have more than talent to stay at the top,” said Christiansen.

Christiansen, 28, won gold in the 1A Championship with a score of 78.217% on her horse, Athene. Veteran Paralympic athlete, Anne Dunham, who made her ParalympicsGB debut in the Atlanta 1996 Games took silver behind her British teammate riding LJT Lucas Normark.

Dunham has witnessed huge changes in Paralympic sport as she explained: “Everything has changed so much, in 1996 we were on borrowed horses.”

Natasha Baker also won gold in the Individual Grade II equestrian event and paid tribute to her mount, JP, who competed in his last event. In an emotional interview with Channel 4, she said: “I am way more emotional than I was in London. My first day did not go as well as I had planned it, but I am so proud of JP.”

Para Canoeing has returned to the Paralympic Games schedule for the first time in 12 years.

Jeanette Chippington led a trio of successes taking the KL1 Canoe title on her return to the Games (after competing previously as a swimmer) with teammates Emma Wiggs (KL2) and Anne Dickins (KL3), (who was a ‘Games Maker’ at London 2012)  also winning at Lagoa.

Ian Marsden (KL1) and Nick Beighton (KL2) picked up bronze medals in the Rio regatta.

The ParalympicsGB T35-38 4x100m team took silver with Kadeena Cox and Georgina Hermitage just missing out on achieving three golds at the Games. The team which includes, Sophie Hahn and Maria Lyle, finished behind China.

In wheelchair tennis, Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett were beaten by France’s Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 in the doubles final.

Richard Whitehead was awarded joint silver in the T42 final after a strong finish to claim second place behind Scott Reardon of Australia. Whitehead remains uncertain as to whether this will be his last Games campaign.

David Weir, however, has confirmed he will retire after the Paralympics. The six time Paralympic Champion came sixth in the T54 800m.

Charlotte Henshaw won bronze in the SB6 100m Breaststroke with Ellie Simmonds finishing fourth.

Great Britain’s women’s wheelchair basketball team were already assured their best-ever Paralympic finish after reaching the semi-finals. They went down 89-78 to USA to miss out on the gold final match. (They will play either Germany or the Netherlands in Friday’s bronze medal play-off.)

Elsewhere, Tatyana McFadden won her fifth career Paralympic gold and her second of the Games when she claimed the 1500m title to add to a silver medal in the 100m earlier in the competition. She is still hoping to win seven medals.

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