Great Britain’s Poppy Maskill secured her third gold medal of the Paralympics in Paris with a stellar performance in the women’s S14 100m backstroke.
Maskill, at just 19 years old, has been a standout performer at the Games, adding to her impressive haul of two golds and two silvers earlier in the competition.
Despite trailing Valeriia Shabalina in the first half of the race, Maskill displayed incredible determination to come from behind and clinch victory in a time of one minute 5.74 seconds, while her compatriot Olivia Newman-Baronius secured the bronze medal.
Maskill’s triumph propelled ParalympicsGB to a total of 41 gold medals in Paris, matching the team’s success in Tokyo three years ago.
Reflecting on her performance, Maskill expressed mixed emotions, stating, “I was a little bit annoyed because it was not a personal best but it was still a gold so I can’t be too annoyed. I’m obviously happy with my medals as they are a great achievement but I’m slightly disappointed in my time because I know I can be better.”
With five medals to her name, Maskill emerged as the most decorated ParalympicsGB athlete of the Games, a feat she humbly acknowledged, saying, “I would have thought it would be Alice [Tai] or someone else. It feels great.”
Maskill’s latest gold medal adds to her victories in the 100m S14 butterfly and the mixed 4x100m S14 freestyle relay, while she also claimed silver in both the 200m freestyle S14 and the 200m individual medley S14 events.
In other notable performances, 17-year-old Mark Tompsett secured a bronze medal in the men’s S14 100m backstroke, and Maisie Summers-Newton added a bronze in the women’s S6 400m freestyle to her two gold medals from earlier in the Games.
### Additional Insight:
Maskill’s incredible display of talent and determination showcases the depth of talent within ParalympicsGB and highlights the exceptional performances of young athletes at the Games. The team’s impressive medal count in Paris reflects their dedication and commitment to excellence in para-sports.
