Wheelchair fencer Saysunee Jana earned the fourth gold medal for Thailand at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games on Tuesday night.
The 50-year-old defeated China's Xiao Rong in a 15-14 thriller to win gold in the women's sabre category B at the Grand Palais.
Saysunee edged out her 31-year-old Chinese opponent, who was a bronze medallist at Tokyo 2020, in a video decision. Saysunee was trailing throughout the contest, rallying from 6-8 down to tie at 13-13.
The Thai went ahead for the first time, taking a 14-13 lead before Xiao levelled things up again.
Saysunee delivered when it mattered the most, sealing the winning point after a video call by the umpire.
It was Saysunee's third Paralympic gold and her seventh overall.
Saysunee won the gold medal in the epee category B event at the London Paralympics in 2012 and the Athens Games in 2004.
"This is my first medal at the Games and it is a gold!" said Saysunee, who will compete in four more events.
"Sabre is actually not my main event and to win gold on Thursday has kind of taken the pressure off.
"I can't believe I was able to keep my concentration at 14-14. Normally, I get too nervous when it's that close. In that last second, I made the right move and managed to pull it off."
Meanwhile, para table tennis player Rungroj Thainiyom progressed to the semi-finals of the men's singles MS6 event, guaranteeing himself a bronze medal -- his second of the Games.
Rungroj defeated Nigeria's Kayode Alabi 3-0 (11-7, 11-1, 11-6) in their quarter-final contest on Tuesday night.
He will face Denmark's Peter Rosenmeier in the semi-finals on Thursday.
Rungroj won a silver medal with Phisit Wangphonphathanasiri in the men's doubles MD14 event on Sunday.
Rungroj won gold in the event at London 2012, bronze at Rio 2016 and another bronze at Tokyo 2020.
Another Thai hopeful Wanchai Chaiwut also earned at least a bronze medal after reaching the semi-finals of the men's singles MS4 event on Wednesday.
He defeated Japan's Kazuki Shichino 3-1 (12-10, 6-11, 11-7, 11-8) in the quarter-finals.
Rungroj Thainiyom in action. REUTERS MAJA SMIEJKOWSKA
The most successful Brit
Sarah Storey extended her record as the most successful British Paralympian on Wednesday, winning the women's C5 time trial at the Paris Games to claim her 18th gold medal.
It was 46-year-old Storey's 13th Paralympic gold medal in cycling, with the other five won in swimming. She overtook swimmer Mike Kenny's record of 16 Paralympic golds in Tokyo.
Storey completed the course in 20 minutes and 22.15 seconds, beating French silver medallist Heidi Gaugain by more than four seconds.
"I'm very happy. I am over the moon. But I know that there's always ways to improve things," Storey said. "This is the shortest Paralympic time trial we've ever had and I think it's a real shame because you don't get to showcase parasport in the way that you want to."
The win took Storey's total Paralympic medal tally to 29, with 16 being won in swimming between 1992-2004. bangok post/reuters