CHINA became only the third country to win more than 100 gold medals at a single edition of the Paralympic Games, celebrating another nine victories in Rio on Saturday.

    Seven of those came in athletics with another two each in table tennis and swimming as China ended the day with 105 gold, 81 silver and 51 bronze medals.

    The United States and Britain are the only other nations to achieve a century of gold medals at a single Paralympics. Both did so at the 1984 Games in New York, when the U.S. claimed 136 gold medals and Britain 107.

    Five of China’s track and field gold medals Saturday — the penultimate day of competition — were achieved with world record performances.

    Zheng Jin smashed her own mark to win gold in the 1500m T11 final. The 25-year-old crossed the line in four minutes 38.92 seconds at the Olympic Stadium, beating her previous record of 4:44.06 set in 2014.

    Kenya’s Nancy Koech took silver in 4:42.12 and Colombia’s Maritza Arango Buitrago bronze in 4:45.33.

    Mi Na also broke her own world record to win gold in the discus F38. The 30-year-old threw 37.60 meters to eclipse the previous benchmark of 35.35m she set at the London 2012 Paralympics.

    Brazil’s Shirlene Coelho took silver with a best effort of 33.91m and Ireland’s Noelle Lenihan claimed bronze with 31.71m.

    Zhou Hongzhuan set a new world record to win gold in the women’s 800m T53. The 27-year-old crossed the line in one minute 47.45 seconds to beat the previous mark set by Australian Angela Ballard last year.

    It was Zhou’s third gold medal of the Rio Games after her successes in the 4x400m T53/54 and the women’s 400m T53.

    (Xinhua)