Personal bests a ‘shot in the arm’ for debutant Jasmine Ng
But the focus for team Hong Kong, China was on teenage swimmer Jasmine Ng, who competed in her first Paralympic final.
Ng, who is competing in three events at the Games at the age of 14, clocked a personal best record of 3:11.95 in the women's 200 metres medley SM6 final in Paris, which was won in dominant fashion by British world record holder Maisie Summers-Newton.
The teenage swimmer says the result is a shot in the arm for her coming races – the 100m breaststroke SB6 final and the 100m backstroke event.
"I'm thrilled to finish the 200m individual medley, having set new personal bests, first in the heats and again in the final," she said.
"I'm treating this 200m individual medley event as just a warm up. I'll rest up before the 100m breaststroke final on September 1."
Strong showing for HK’s boccia players
Team Hong Kong, China also found success in the boccia competition, with two competitors advancing to the quarter-finals.
Paralympics debutant Annie Cheung won all three of her matches in the women's individual BC4 group play to ease into the last eight.
Veteran bowler Yeung Hiu-lam, competing in her fourth Games, also advanced in the women's individual BC2 event.
Shuttlers continue to outshine the competition
In badminton, Tokyo silver medallist and top-seed Chu Man-kai won yet another singles group match in badminton SH6.
Wheelchair badminton player Daniel Chan opened his second Paralympic bid by winning 2-0 against Chile's Jaime Aranguiz in the group stage.
But it was the end for Wilson Ngai's Paris campaign, who went out in the round of 32, losing to Jere Forsberg of Finland, 142-137, in the men's archery individual compound.
The 52-year-old veteran said the weather conditions might have played a part in his match's outcome.
"It was obvious that I was less nervous this elimination round... I felt that my performance was not bad," he said.
"I still have a passion for archery and will strive to compete at the next [Los Angeles] Paralympic Games."
Team China pulls ahead of the competition
The national team bagged 20 more medals on Friday to extend their lead in the table.
The national team sealed eight more golds, with swimmer Yang Hong breaking his own world record in the men's 200m medley SM6 final.
Zhou Xia won China's first gold medal of the athletics events when she sprinted to the women's T35 100m title, for people with impaired coordination, in a time of 13.58 seconds to edge out compatriot Guo Qianqian.
Di Dongdong added the men's long jump title for athletes with visual impairment by smashing the world record with a 6.85-metre jump.
Defending champion and sprinter Wen Xiaoyan broke her own Paralympic record, set in the Tokyo Games, and crossed the finish line first in the women's 200m T37 final, while fellow teammate Jiang Fenfen claimed bronze.
