The American (pictured top, embracing Simmonds), who had won three silver medals earlier in these Games, earned her first win after establishing a halfway lead which Simmonds could not overturn despite a frantic final 50 metres which saw her finish in a European record of 1:14.82.

For Simmonds it was a personal best by over a second and just 0.08sec shy of the world record Arlen had set in qualifying.

Tanja Groepper of Germany took home the bronze medal in 1:16.83.

There was no world record for Daniel Dias (pictured below), but the Brazilian compounded his reputation as one of the stellar performers in the Paralympic pool as he earned his sixth gold of the Games, dominating the men's 100m freestyle S5 to finish more than five seconds clear of the silver medallist, Roy Perkins of the United States, and 55-year-old Spaniard Sebastian Rodriguez who came third.


Dias' feat was nearly matched by China's Yang Bozun who secured his sixth medal of London 2012 and his third gold as he won the men's 200m individual medley SM11 in a world record of 2:22.40.

Simmonds' British team-mate Harriet Lee took bronze in a women's 100m breaststroke SB9 won by Khrystyna Yurchenko, who secured her first medal of the Games, after her fellow Ukrainian Mariya Timofeyeva faded on reaching the 50 metres turn, in a world record of 36.42.

Yurchenko timed her race perfectly and, with 10 metres to go, edged away from Sophie Pascoe of New Zealand, who added a silver to her three golds and two silvers already won at London 2012.

Mikhail Zimin of Russia set a world record of 1:07.05 in the men's 100m breaststroke SB12, earning his first gold of the Games after turning in third place.

Uladzimir Izotau of Belarus, who swam a world record of 30.52 for the first 50 metres, finished in second place.


After four silver medals, Natali Pronina (pictured above) of Azerbaijan won her first gold as she won the women's 100m breaststroke SB12 in style, breaking the world record of eventual silver medallist Karolina Pelendritou of Cyprus to establish a new mark of 1:16.17.

Pavel Poltavtsev of Russia claimed his first medal of 2012 in winning the men's 100m breaststroke SB9.

The 2010 world champion led from the start and comfortably fought off a brief challenge from Beijing 2008 gold medallist Kevin Paul of South Africa and Furong Lin of China.

Lin's team-mate Qing Xu (pictured below) proved himself another London multiple medallist as he won his fourth gold from four events with victory in the men's 100m freestyle S6 in a Paralympic record of 1:05.82.

Xu finished almost two seconds ahead of Sebastian Iwanow of Germany, who claimed silver.


Teresa Perales of Spain earned her third successive gold in the women's 100m freestyle S5, adding to her 2012 total of three silvers and a bronze as she finished in 1:18.55, two seconds ahead of Nataliia Prologaieva of the Ukraine, who thus added a silver to her three gold medals at the Games.

Elsewhere, defending Paralympic champion Oleksii Fedyna of the Ukraine won the men's 100m breaststroke SB13 in a Paralympic record time of 1:04.30.

Prue Watt of Australia took the first gold medal of the session in the women's 100m breaststroke SB13 in a Paralympic record of 36.58.

After two silver medals and one bronze, Mary Fisher of New Zealand finally secured a gold medal when she won the women's 200m individual medley SM11 in a world record of 2:46.91.

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