Faye Rogers and Callie-Ann Warrington served up a stunning gold and silver butterfly double for ParalympicsGB to bring the curtain down on day six at the pool - both reaching a Paralympic podium for the first time.
Lining up alongside each other in the centre lanes after impressive heat showings, the GB teammates put together contrasting races on the way to a thrilling finish and an outstanding British one-two in the Women's S10 100m Butterfly.
Callie-Ann took things out fast from the start, reaching the halfway wall in first place, just more than half-a-second ahead of Faye, whose pace was showing by that stage and whose brilliantly-executed turn brought the compatriots level heading into the final 40m.
It was at that stage that they dropped Canada's Katie Cosgriffe and Jasmine Greenwood of Australia to turn it into a straight British shootout for the gold - and Faye's superior finishing speed over the final 25m just saw her to the wall first, to cap her first Paralympic final with a memorable gold, while Callie-Ann's new personal best of 1:06.41 saw her finish half-a-second back for silver.
"My back-end is always the strongest part of my race. I was quite confident at the turn because my thought process was that if I was with everyone at the turn, we're good. But I could see Callie fighting all the way down the last length and I was like, 'just keep moving!' We smashed it, I'm so proud of her too," said Rogers, whose move into Paralympic swimming came after injuries suffered in a car accident in 2021.
"It's exactly three years this week since my accident, it's a bit emotional actually and a full-circle moment. But I couldn't be prouder and I couldn't have asked for more from the last three years.
"Coming into para-sport brand new, it has just been the best environment and the best team, and I've made some of the best friends. I couldn't be more grateful for this journey, I've learned so much about myself and I couldn't have imagined this ever happening. It's crazy, it's so cool.
"I've started getting some messages off other people who've been in similar situations, and it makes me really proud and grateful that my experience is helping other people. There are so many people that could benefit from para-sport, it's just amazing."
![Callie-Ann Warrington Faye Rogers lane rope celebrations Paris 2024](https://www.aquaticsgb.com/media/images/53969433845_7e0d8f3c57_k.width-800.jpg)
Like Rogers, Warrington's taste of a Paralympic podium was her first ever - and she took great value from doing so alongside her friend and teammate.
"I had a chat with the coaches after the heats and they were happy with the pace I went out on, they just said 'you need to come back a bit quicker'. I delivered that and a personal best. It's brilliant, and then to be able to race this final with Faye, it means everything," she said.
"Whatever order it was going to be, we didn't mind - but it's just so nice to have a fellow British swimmer next to me, pushing each other on, it's so nice to have. I came here to do a job and I've done that job."
Kickstarting the sixth night of finals was Tully Kearney, who rounded out her hugely successful second Paralympic appearance by finishing fifth in the Women's S5 50m Backstroke.
A freestyle specialist, Tully was in stunning form to claim both S5 100m and 200m Freestyle titles earlier in the week, before closing the meet out with a "fun event" - although it was still a serious performance from the 27-year-old, who finished at pace to place fifth, only a second off the podium.
"It's been a fun event. It's not often you get to do an event with no pressure on you, the aim was just to go out and enjoy the backstroke and try to add it in for future years," she said afterwards."
Eliza Humphrey set a new personal best on her way to seventh in the Women's SM11 200m Individual Medley, with sister Scarlett Humphrey placing sixth in the lane next to her.
For the second time this Games, the twins from Northampton Swimming Club lined up alongside each other in a Paralympic final, with both putting four consistent laps of medley swimming together to drop time from their morning heats' efforts.
Scarlett was third after a brilliant opening 50m of butterfly before dropping back to fifth at halfway and then sixth at the end, while Eliza's pacing saw her clock a 2:59.51, dipping inside the three-minute mark for the first time in her career to touch seventh and cap another memorable moment in the Paralympic arena.
"It was nice, that felt good as well. We had some things we wanted to work on from the heats, I worked on them and it obviously worked, so I got under three minutes which is something I've been aiming to do for a while. To do that here was quite nice!" said Eliza.
"Missing out on the World Championships in Manchester last year was a bit gutting because I was watching everyone race and thinking, 'ooh, I want to be back there again!' So I worked really hard in the lead-up to the Paralympic trials and then to make the team was really nice, and then to finally race here is a dream come true. It's great to be back on the world stage and racing world-class athletes as well.
![Scarlett Humphrey (left) Eliza Humphrey (right) blocks Paris 2024](https://www.aquaticsgb.com/media/images/53968807366_b4dcc3caf8_k.width-800.jpg)
"The crowds have been amazing. Having friends and family in the crowd is really nice, some people who've never watched us race in person have come across so that's been really nice to promote para-swimming. Also, the crowd is supporting every athlete, whether I know them or not, the crowds are doing amazing cheering and supporting everyone, no matter which country, and that has been really special."
Twenty-four hours on from winning her maiden Paralympic title in the S3 50m Backstroke, Ellie Challis was back in the La Defense Arena cauldron as she contested the S3 100m Freestyle final.
A remarkably consistent stroke rate across the two laps of racing saw Challis claw back nearly six seconds on eventual bronze medallist Rachael Watson of Australia over the back 50m to push and touch for fourth, replicating her placing in this event from Tokyo three years ago - but eight seconds faster than her swim in 2021 to cap a memorable Games this time around.
"I definitely wanted faster and I wanted a bit more from myself tonight, but tonight wasn't my night and that's okay. After yesterday, I really can't ask for anything more. My dreams came true yesterday, today was just about having fun - and I have loved every race I've had here. I've had the best time, fourth isn't easy, but when you know you've enjoyed it all and you've done the best you can, I can come away from this competition very happy," she said.
"Me and Louise [Fiddes] were buzzing all night, it took me ages to get to sleep! I don't think I believe it yet, it's not believable, but it's great."
Earlier in the day, Grace Harvey - another of this GB team to claim her first Paralympic gold in Paris - just missed out on the final of the Women's S6 50m Butterfly after placing ninth in the heats to round out her meet programme.
Reflecting on her passion for swimming that carried her to this successful Games performance, Grace said: "I love this sport, it has given me so much joy, so many friends, so many opportunities. If it wasn't for para-swimming, I don't know who I would be as an individual, it has really shaped me as a person. To have this opportunity to come out here and race, to represent Great Britain, it is amazing.
![Ellie Challis S3 100m Free underwater shot](https://www.aquaticsgb.com/media/images/Ellie_Challis_S3_100m_Free_underwater_shot.width-300.jpg)
"But we can't do it without The National Lottery players, and it is so amazing that their faith makes this all possible, because without them, none of us athletes would be able to come out here and realise our dreams. We really couldn't do this without all those National Lottery players at home, this is as much their win as it is for us. Even my Grandma, when she goes out and buys her weekly Lottery ticket, she's funding all these amazing causes and we're so thankful to everyone."