Dame Sarah Storey moved into a class of her own, Britain’s wheelchair rugby team made history and two swimmers called Ellie made emotional announcements during 12 action-packed days of competition in Tokyo.
ParalympicsGB secured 124 medals in Japan, finishing second behind China in the overall standings.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look back at some of the stand-out British moments from a unique Games delivered during a pandemic.
Never-ending Storey
Magical murderball
Proud as a Peacock
Sport at its finest.
A very, very special 100m final.#Paralympics pic.twitter.com/1SKBBh2BCM
— ParalympicsGB (@ParalympicsGB) August 30, 2021
Sprinter Jonnie Peacock hailed his exhilarating 100m final as the perfect advert for Paralympic sport. It was hard to disagree. Just 0.04 of a second separated the first four runners in a dramatic photo finish on day six. Peacock – seeking a third straight sprint title – endured an agonising wait of more than three minutes before being confirmed as winner of joint T64 bronze alongside Johannes Floors in precisely 10.786secs. Floors’ fellow German Felix Streng snatched gold, while Costa Rican Sherman Isidro Guity Guity sneaked silver. Single-leg amputee Peacock declared himself “proud” to be raising the profile of disability sport.
To have and two gold
Two #Gold medals.Two World Records.Two #Paralympics legends.@loraturnham and @neilfachie, the ultimate power couple ? #Tokyo2020 #ParaCycling @UCI_paracycling @BritishCycling pic.twitter.com/9yJdIxb89s
— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) August 28, 2021
Golden couple Neil and Lora Fachie were more than happy to be dubbed the ‘Kennys of the Paralympics’ after each storming to glory on a fairy-tale day of track cycling. Scotsman Neil and pilot Matt Rotherham powered home in world-record style in the men’s B 1000m time trial, before Liverpool-born wife Lora and her tandem guide Corrine Hall remarkably matched the feat just minutes later in the women’s B 3000m individual pursuit. The unforgettable quick-fire golds for the visually-impaired husband and wife at Izu Velodrome swiftly drew comparisons with decorated duo Jason and Laura Kenny, who have won 12 Olympic golds combined.
Afghan heroes
Boccia brilliance
Ell of a journey
“Now that I’ve come to the end of my journey, I’m really proud of how it ended”@EllieRobinsonGB is #ImpossibleToIgnore pic.twitter.com/t23idLD2W0
— ParalympicsGB (@ParalympicsGB) August 31, 2021
Tokyo seemingly marked the end for two British swimming stars – each named Ellie. On her 20th birthday, two-time medallist Ellie Robinson – ‘the girl in the big coat from Rio’ – received widespread words of consolation and encouragement following an emotional interview in which she revealed her painful hip condition had become too severe to continue. That news was followed just three days later by five-time gold winner Simmonds effectively calling time on her own Paralympics career. GB’s opening ceremony flagbearer – who, like Robinson, did not make the podium in the Far East – planned to “go home and evaluate”.
Last hurrah for heartbroken Hewett?
