Iran’s Siamand Rahman wrote his name into the history books after doing what no man had ever done before – he cleared the bar at 310kg in the men’s over 107kg, setting a new world record and claiming his second consecutive Paralympic gold.

The world’s strongest Paralympian, who had lifted 296kg at a World Cup in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, last February, was widely expected to break the 300kg barrier after years systematically improving his marks.

Rahman won gold at London 2012 with a 280kg lift. Two years later, he registered 285kg at the World Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and 290kg at the Asian Para Games in Incheon, Korea.

In Rio, the 28-year-old proved again that nothing can stop him in front of a noisy crowd that had gathered to witness the historic moment and never stopped chanting “Iran, Iran”.

“I feel very happy and proud for having broken the 300kg barrier and for being the strongest Paralympian in the world,”said Rahman afterwards. “I want to be an inspiration for all people with impairment who stay at home and don’t lead an active life, and especially for the youth."

Egypt’s Amr Mosaad claimed silver thanks to his 235kg lift in the last round, whilst Jordania’s Jamil Elshebli (234kg) sealed bronze.

“Winning silver is like winning gold to me. It is just impossible to defeat Rahman,” said Mosaad.

The other stand-out story of the day at the Riocentro – Pavilion 2 was the success of Josephine Orji. The Nigerian cleared 160kg, adding 7kg to her previous own world record to top the podium in the women’s over 86kg.

The world champion ended far ahead of Poland’s Marzena Zieba (134kg), who collected silver, and the Netherlands’ Melaica Tuinfort (130kg), who sealed bronze.

“It is very special for me to win gold at my first Paralympic Games,” said Orji.

With six golds, two silvers and one bronze, Nigeria topped the final Rio 2016 powerlifting medal tally.

“We eat a lot of good food and that is why we are so strong,” Orji added.

World champion Pavlos Mamalos confirmed he is the strongest in the men’s up to 107kg, breaking the Paralympic record with a 238kg lift on his way to gold, Greece’s second powerlifting medal at Rio 2016 after Dimitrios Bakochristos sealed bronze in the men’s up to 54kg.

Mamalos finished ahead of Egypt’s Mohamed Ahmed (233kg) and Iran’s Ali Sadeghzadehsalmani (226kg), who claimed silver and bronze, respectively. The Greek later tried to break Azerbaijan’s Elshan Huseynov’s world record of 243kg but failed.

“Winning a gold medal is only possible if you are strong, brave and never give up. I am extremely happy,” said Mamalos.

“I have been working very hard to reach my best possible shape ahead of this Paralympic Games, training every day except Sundays in the morning and the afternoon.

“I never think of winning a medal before competing but of giving my best and being as focused on my lifts as possible.

“Next year we have the World Championships in Mexico, where I will try again to break the world record. And then I will start training for Tokyo 2020.”</s>Siamand Rahman who clinched the title in powerlifting’s +107kg class, breaking the Games’ record with his first attempt of 270 kilograms.

Iran's Siamand Rahman (R) celebrates with his coach during the men's powerlifting +107kg category at the Paralympic Games in the Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on September 14, 2016. ©AFP

He then set new world and Paralympics records with 300 and 305 and 310 kilograms in his 2nd, 3rd and 4th attempts.

Iran's Siamand Rahman celebrates with his coach after lifting 300kg, a world record, during the men's powerlifting +107kg (group A) at the Paralympic Games in the Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on September 14, 2016. ©AFP

Athletes from Egypt and Jordan won silver and bronze respectively.</s></s>Georgie Hermitage has won her second gold medal of the Paralympics winning the T37 400m title in a world record time of 1min 0.53sec. Hermitage, who has cerebral palsy, also won the T37 100m crown on Friday in another world record time.

“This is my preferred event,” said the 27-year-old after the race, which was run in searing heat in Rio. “I knew everyone was expecting. So to come out and win it was amazing. I knew the Chinese wouldn’t back down so I knew I had to get a good start. I’m really happy

“The heat actually relaxed my muscles but you’ve still got to deal with the humidity. My left side is really happy but the rest of me wants to die.”

A latecomer to Paralympic sport after walking away from athletics 10 years ago. Hermitage decided to compete again after being dragged along to see Mo Farah run at London 2012. At the time she was working in a brewery and barely kept fit.

“I’m so glad I came back,” she said. “As a 14-year-old I wasn’t ready to cope. I’m so glad I came back.”

She wanted to inspire her daughter by travelling to Rio 2016 and has now recorded two world record and collected two gold medals.

“Everything’s for her,” said Hermitage. “I want her to know you can do anything if you set your mind to it. I miss her so much.”</s>There are few better examples of bouncing back from life’s difficulties than the athletes competing in the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro through Sunday.

There is U.S. swimmer Brad Snyder, who lost his vision when an IED exploded near him as he patrolled with a Navy SEAL unit in 2011 in Afghanistan. A former captain of the Naval Academy swimming team, he found solace in the pool and won two gold medals at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

“I didn’t like that everyone was so distraught and so messed up (after his injury),” Snyder told The Washington Post. “I’m used to having a positive impact on people. Swimming, in the beginning, was a way to turn that on its head.”

Australian rower Erik Horrie was 7 years old when his parents dropped him off at an orphanage. At 21, he was involved in a head-on crash and was told he would never walk again. He hasn’t, but he became an elite wheelchair basketball player, a silver medalist in 2012 in the single sculls and, most important, a youth counselor.

Joe Berenyi of Aurora, Ill., lost his right arm and severely injured his knee in a factory accident in 1994. Now, he is the top Paralympic cyclist in the world.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said: “We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.” There are more than 4,350 athletes competing in Rio who have not given into life’s disappointments.

The word “hero” gets used loosely these days. It actually applies to Paralympic athletes.</s>Great Britain has surged beyond the gold medal haul from the London Games on another glorious night in Rio.

Team GB's nine golds on Wednesday took their tally to 43, improving on their 34 in 2012.

In a scintillating evening session, Britain's Paralympians won 10 medals in the space of an hour in the pool and on the track.

Cyclist Sarah Storey reinforced her status as Great Britain's most decorated female Paralympian with her second gold in Rio, while Kadeena Cox became the first British athlete to win gold medals in separate sports since 1984.

After victory on her bike in the C4-5 500m time-trial with a world record time, the girl with the golden smile yesterday made history by winning T38 400m athletics gold and setting another world record.

The 25-year-old, who has multiple sclerosis, had also won a bronze in the 200m.

'I'm so happy and so glad I've done it, for everyone's who struggled with chronic conditions', she said.

'I was sat praying in the cool room saying "please let me get it". I was pretty broken after two events, everything was hurting but I'm gold medallist and world record holder in two sports. That is literally what I was dreaming of.'

Fittingly, it was Storey who took Britain past their gold medal tally from London - as she registered her 13th gold spanning seven Games.

Watched by her parents, husband Barney and three-year-old daughter Louisa, draped in a Union flag, Storey grinned as she crossed the line in 27:22.42 to win the C5 road time-trial.

After her latest victory her coach, Dr Gary Brickley, said she was good enough to compete against able-bodied athletes at the Tokyo Games in 2020.

He said: 'I think she can prove you can win the Olympics at 42. In the past there have been excuses made but you can't give those excuses any more, that she's missing a hand, that you have a child, or you're too old because on paper her stats say she's one of the best horses on the track.'

Storey, who feels her form could assist Lizzie Armitstead in the defence of her road race world title next year, added: 'I have a big engine, who knows if that will help Lizzie when she defends her title?'

The 38-year-old is staying with her husband Barney - who has won three Paralympic gold medals as a sighted pilot but is not competing here - and daughter Louisa - which she said helped with her preparation.

'I don't go back to my room and worry about stuff. I get to do toddler stuff, playing Lego and My Little Pony', she said.

'It's about having the confidence and the right support network. Barney is full‑time support to both of us. He's a super-domestique if ever there was one.'

Away from the Velodrome, Britain also dominated cycling on the road. Steve Bate, who is visually impaired, won his second gold in the B time trial. Bate and his guide, Adam Duggleby, finished in 34:35.33.

Karen Darke, who was paralysed in a climbing accident at the age of 21, won the H1-3 time trial.

In the Olympic stadium, wheelchair athlete Hannah Cockroft won her second gold of the Games, in the T34 400m, and will go for a third in the 800m tomorrow.

Sophie Wells claimed her first individual Paralympic gold medal in the grade IV championship test to give Britain a first gold from a first attempt at the Olympic Equestrian Centre.

Team GB had an excellent night in the pool, with Aaron Moores pipping team-mate Scott Quin to gold for a one-two in the men's SB14 100m breaststroke and Michael Jones and Jonathan Fox taking first and second respectively in the men's S7 400m freestyle final.

Hannah Russell's victory in the S12 100m backstroke was Britain's 43rd gold medal in Rio and the third of the night in the pool.</s>City of Sunderland’s Matt Wylie is the Paralympic swimming champion!

The 19-year-old from Washington won tonight’s S9 50m final in Rio to claim gold.

Wylie had qualified as the fastest swimmer this afternoon and triumphed tonight in 25.95 seconds.

It was an incredibly tight finish but Wylie clinched it to join the ranks of British gold medallists.</s>As a first Paralympic final appearance goes, swimmer Matt Wylie made sure to mark it in style, beating his Australian rival by just four hundredths of a second to take gold in Rio.

Described as the splash and dash event, the 50m freestyle event is over in the blink of an eye compared to other races and demands the individual gets off to a fast start.

And S9 swimmer Wylie did just that before powering his way to the wall first in 25.95 seconds.

Such was the closeness of the race that just nine hundredths of a second separated gold from fourth place with runner-up Timothy Disken having to settle for silver with 25.99 – the same time Wylie had clocked as the fastest qualifier in the heats.

Victory sees the 19-year-old City of Sunderland swimmer add to the European title he claimed earlier this spring and also continued ParalympicsGB’s golden run in the pool in Rio.

“After this morning’s heats I wasn’t sure if I would win but is just shows that anything is possible at the Paralympic Games,” said Wylie.

“It’s been a bit of a wait for me seeing everyone doing well, people have been smashing it out all week with medals left, right and centre.

“This was my chance and I was desperate to show what I could do.

“I thought Timothy (Disken) got the touch if I’m honest so I couldn’t believe it when I realisesd I had won.

“I’ve only been really focused on the 50m for a season now, so the improvement I’ve made in the year I can’t believe it.”

Wylie’s win followed hot on the heels of Stephanie Millward who stormed to gold in the women’s 100m backstroke S8 final, while there was also a silver for Ollie Hynd in the men’s equivalent and bronze for Ellie Simmonds in the 400m freestyle S6 in yesterday’s evening session.

That takes the total of British swimming medals won in Rio so far to 26, of which nine are gold.

And Wylie, who still has the relay to come, admitted he was loving every second of life in Brazil.

“The venue is good, it’s the biggest capacity crowd I’ve ever swam in front of in my life,” he added.

“It’s really loud, especially when you are walking out. I tried to use that to my advantage.

“The village is great too, everything is just where I need it. The food hall is probably the biggest food hall I’ve ever seen in my life, it’s great. There’s just rows of food, that makes me very happy!

“I just want to thank everyone for all the support over the past few years. People say it’s a four-year cycle but for me, it’s been seven years in the making so just thanks to everyone who has been there.”

You can help #Supercharge ParalympicsGB to Rio 2016 and beyond. Show your support for the team and find out more atwww.paralympics.org.uk/supercharge</s>Nigerian Nollywood actress, Lauritta Onye won a gold medal in shot put, as he smashed a world record in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio.

Her performance skills were put to good use on Sunday night when she celebrated her victory in acrobatic style in front of the cameras.

Under that name, she starred in the Nollywood film Lords of Money in 2015.

Nigeria's Paralympians already have six golds, two silvers and one bronze medal.</s>Dame Sarah Storey won her 13th Paralympic gold after winning the C5 road time-trial in Rio.

The victory takes Great Britain beyond their gold medal haul from the London games four years ago.

ParalympicsGB ended Tuesday's sixth day of competition with 34 gold medals, equalling the haul from the 11 days of competition four years ago in London. And Storey delivered the 35th.

The 38-year-old became Britain's most successful female Paralympian when her 12th gold in the C5 individual pursuit saw her overtake wheelchair racer Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson's haul of 11 gold medals.
• Stockport's Sarah Storey becomes Paralympic great after winning her 12th gold

And Storey added her 13th with a dominant win in the 20-kilometres road time-trial at Pontal.

Storey, who won her first Paralympic gold as a 14-year-old swimmer in Barcelona in 1992, was almost a minute ahead of her nearest rival at the halfway mark.

And she claimed a commanding win in 27 minutes 22.42 seconds.

Anna Harkowska of Poland was second in 28mins 52.79secs, more than 1:30 behind.

Colin Lynch claimed Ireland's fourth medal of the Paralympics, with silver in the men's C2 road time-trial.
Iranian powerlifter Siamand Rahman cleared the bar at 310kg in the men's over 107kg, setting a new world Paralympic record and claiming his second consecutive Paralympic gold.