Reece Dunn claims third Games gold and world record in 200m individual medley

British swimmer Reece Dunn grabbed his third Paralympic gold of the Tokyo Games by breaking the world record in the S14 men’s 200m individual medley.

The 25-year-old touched the wall in 2:08.02, shaving 0.14 seconds off the previous global best.

Plymouth Leander member Dunn had already won gold in 200m freestyle and mixed 4x100m freestyle, in addition to 100m butterfly silver.

On another busy evening at Tokyo Aquatics Centre, there were four further medals for ParalympicsGB.

Bethany Firth gained silver in the SM14 200m individual medley in 2:23.19, with team-mate Louise Fiddes completing the podium, 8.22secs behind.

Stephen Clegg won the men’s S12 100m freestyle bronze in 53.43, while Hannah Russell emulated that achievement in the women’s race in a time of 1:00.25.

At the Olympic Stadium, British runner Columba Blango and long jumper Olivia Breen each won bronze.

Londoner Blango, appearing at his first Paralympics, ran a personal best of 47.81secs, to finish third in the T20 400m

The 29-year-old crossed the line 0.18secs behind French gold medallist Charles-Antoine Kouakou, with Venezuela’s Luis Felipe Rodriguez Bolivar clinching silver.

Breen’s best jump in the T38 classification was 4.91m, while her fellow Briton Hetty Bartlett was sixth with a leap of 4.05m.

Veteran table tennis player Sue Bailey guaranteed her first Paralympic medal at the sixth Games of her career by reaching the semi-finals of the women’s team classes 4-5 competition alongside Megan Shackleton.

Two-time Commonwealth champion Bailey – a 48-year-old teacher from Barnsley – and 22-year debutant Shackleton defeated Jordanian pair Khetam Abuawad and Faten Elelimat 2-1 in the last eight.

The GB duo will play China on Wednesday for a place in the gold medal match, with bronze already assured for both teams.

Elsewhere, Great Britain exited the women’s wheelchair basketball at the quarter-final stage following a 47-33 loss to China.

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