The 16-year-old from Great Yarmouth (pictured top), who has Asperger syndrome, clocked 2min 12.63sec to beat Australia's Taylor Corry by 0.55 while Marlou van der Kulk of the Netherlands took bronze.

The intellectual disability class was dropped from the Paralympics following a much-publicised cheating scandal at Sydney 2000 when several members of Spain's basketball team were discovered not actually to be suffering from any such affliction.

However, after several years of campaigning, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) voted controversially to reintroduce the category at London 2012.

Applegate, who qualified fastest after breaking her own British record in the morning session, was third with 50 metres to go before a storming final length catapulted her to gold.

"I am ecstatic because I didn't think I could do something like that," said Applegate, who finished fourth in the 100m backstroke S14.

"It means so much – I'm on cloud nine at the moment.

"At the last turn I could see how far ahead they were and I knew I had to give everything I had.


"It was my last race so I knew it didn't matter if I collapsed at the bottom of the pool!"

She added: "I just want to thank my mum and my family, and everyone who's supported me."

Applegate joins Ellie Simmonds and Jonathan Fox as Britain's gold medallists in the Aquatics Centre.

Elsewhere, James Clegg and Hannah Russell (pictured above) respectively claimed bronze in the men's and women's 100m butterfly S12.

Clegg touched out in a close finish to claim third in exactly 1:00.00 after turning at the halfway point in fifth spot.

His success came shortly before his sister, Libby, a sprinter, won silver in the Olympic Stadium in women's 100m T12.

Russell added her medal to the silver she won in the 400m freestyle S12.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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