Stephen Clegg delivered a fitting finale to ParalympicsGB's glorious Paris Games in the pool as he stormed to the Men's S12 100m Butterfly title - an 18th gold of the meet for Britain rubber-stamping their greatest return of golds this century.
Clegg's stunning win and a brave bronze from Alice Tai in the Women's S8 100m Butterfly - in a race that saw her attack hard from the blocks and hold on for the podium in the final strokes - ensured that Aquatics GB athletes ended these Paralympics with 32 medals to their name overall, with that incredible tally of 18 golds seeing them place second behind China in the swimming medal table and contributing hugely to what has been a sensational event across the sports for ParalympicsGB. That golden total is Britain's best since Barcelona 1992, surpassing the 16 from Rio 2016 and Athens 2004.
No fewer than six of the team will leave Paris as multiple Paralympic champions from this Games alone, with Clegg among that number after his blockbuster finish to the meet.
Three years on from being pipped in this event, Stephen lined up for the final in lane four, alongside Raman Salei - the man who beat him in Tokyo - and brother Dmitry. Those three reached the halfway stage in a blanket turn, a tiny 0.13s separating the trio, before a superb underwater technique from Clegg put him into the lead for the home straight.
The Edinburgh University man, crowned champion in a new world record in the S12 100m Backstroke a week before, was not going to let the lead slip, powering with every stroke to keep ahead of the Salei brothers and holding firm for his second gold, and third medal overall, in Paris.
"Coming in here, that was always the ultimate target, it's always easier said than done for sure! It's not really sunk in yet. The backstroke feels like a million years ago already, it has been a long week and a very long way to get here. I started out in this 10 years ago now, and I can't really begin to fathom how rewarding this feels," he said.
"Two years ago, I remember having a conversation with a teammate saying, 'I'm not even sure if I can win', because at that point I hadn't won any title, European, world title and definitely not a Paralympic gold. There was a lot of doubt whether or not I could actually get this, and whether mentally I may have a block. But I knew I was always capable of it. It's just sensational to finally be able to call myself a two-time Paralympic champion.
![Stephen Clegg Alice Tai hug Paris 2024](https://www.aquaticsgb.com/media/images/GettyImages-2170714746.width-800.jpg)
"It's been sensational. I've got a big army of friends and family here today which is unbelievable, I'm so glad they got to see that and I got to share that with them, and I'm sure there will be a few drinks tonight, I imagine! I'm unbelievably grateful to everyone who has supported me and been on this journey with me.
"On deck, there is an army of people - everyone talks about the sacrifice and commitment athletes have to make to achieve these things, but no-one really considers the people in the background who are doing the exact same thing. The teammates I have who emotionally support me, it goes both ways - but my coach who has a three-year-old son and a wife, and he spends an insane amount of time with me and with my team. I don't have kids or anything like that, but I can't begin to imagine how hard it is to be away from his son for such long periods of time, but he does it for us because he believes in us. That's a lot of, not pressure, but there's a lot of awareness of what he has sacrificed for us. So I owe it to him to be the best version of myself, day in and day out, and I just want to say thank you to my coach, Mat Trodden at Edinburgh.
"The Edinburgh University team has been so supportive. Not just them, but Aquatics GB, ParalympicsGB and of course The National Lottery, who make all of this happen. It's unbelievable."
One person there to celebrate on poolside with Clegg was Alice Tai, who had just been through her medal ceremony from the Women's S8 100m Butterfly, where she secured bronze - completing a clean sweep of five medals from five events in Paris.
Alice joined Poppy Maskill as a five-time medallist at these Games by taking things out hard over the opening 50m, building an impressive lead that held well into the final 25m, only for Jessica Long of the USA and Viktoriia Ishchiulova (NPA) to move past her in the closing stages. Ultimately, though, Alice held strong to reach the wall third and finish her packed schedule with another medal, just edging out compatriot Brock Whiston, who closed the final lap at speed to place fourth.
![Alice Tai S8 100m Fly BRONZE podium Paris 2024](https://www.aquaticsgb.com/media/images/GettyImages-2170707224.width-800.jpg)
Reflecting on her race, Tai said: "That's probably one of the silliest races I've ever swam! My coach told me to feel the first 50m, and my fly, when it's fresh, feels really nice - and the first 50m did feel really nice! Then I got to the last 20m, and I was like, 'come on, 20m left', and it just got worse and worse, to the point where I was like, 'I don't care where I come, I just want to finish!'
"So to get the bronze is great. My best time this season would've won it so there's always that bit at the back of my head thinking maybe I could've done more. But honestly, I'm tired at the end of this week. I've not done big, multi-event competitions since 2019 really, so I am still getting fit to do those again.
"Two golds, a silver and two bronzes is still an amazing Paralympic performance. I've got my seventh Paralympic medal right here, so I'm happy! It's five out of five events at this Games, I can't really complain at that, and I'm really happy with everything I've done this week."
The other GB finalist in action on Saturday night was Faye Rogers, another to have become a Paralympic champion across a mammoth 10-day programme, as she contested the Women's SM10 200m Individual Medley showpiece.
Opening up with her strongest butterfly stroke, Faye led after 50m and was second at the halfway, before ultimately coming home fifth.
In the morning, 13-year-old Iona Winnifrith just missed out on the final of the S7 100m Butterfly, finishing 10th in qualifying having become ParlaympicsGB's youngest medallist of these Games two days earlier in the SB7 100m Breaststroke.