Stef Reid takes long jump silver at the Paralympics in Rio

Britain’s Stef Reid took Britain’s first medal of the 2016 Paralympics, picking up silver in the T44 long jump behind France’s Marie-Amelie Le Fur.

Reid matched her silver from London 2012 with her best of 5.64m, 14cm down on her PB. However, the Frenchwoman led from the first round with 5.75m and then twice jumped a world record of 5.83m, in rounds four and six. Netherlands’ Marlene van Gansewinkel took bronze with 5.57m.

The Brit said: “It feels amazing to win another Paralympic medal – I was initially disappointed, but it took an amazing jump to take the gold medal today. Her (Marie-Amelie Le Fur’s) whole series was very impressive.

“Obviously the gold is what I was after, but I was proud with how I jumped and to be taking the silver medal home with me. I’m still motivated and aiming to jump even further next year. London 2017 is a target for me, but I will take a break and see what I need to work on.”

This was Reid’s third Paralympic medal as she also won bronze in the 200m in 2008.

Gemma Prescott followed up with another podium place for Britain, claiming bronze in the F32 club throw. She threw 19.77m but was short of Tunisia’s Maroua Brahmi’s world record of 26.93m. Algeria’s Mounia Gasmi took silver with 25.41m. Britain’s Abbie Hunnisett was fourth with 19.00m.

Prescott said: “It has been a great 2016 for me and to finish it off with a Paralympic medal is something special. I’ve worked hard this year and had a lot of support from family and friends, and my coach (Mike Wood) has been a great support, and pulled everything together.”

Britain’s Libby Clegg went through to tonight’s final of the T11 100m with a world record after a disqualification ruling against her was overturned.

She crossed the line in her semi-final in 11.91 to break the 11.95 mark set by China’s Liu Cuiqing in a previous heat, but a later update saw a “DQ” against …

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