After the London 2012, the APC went through financial difficulties and sought the help of the ASC, which offered both financial support and assistance in restructuring governance.

The loan was AUD$2.25 million (£1.2 million/$1.5 million/€1.3 million).

Successes by the national team at Rio 2016 enabled the APC to rebuild and consolidate their position, they claimed.

APC chief executive Lynne Anderson praised the ASC for its continued support.

"The organisation's efforts not only benefited our athletes in Rio highlighted by another top five finish, but our work has cemented a bright future for our athletes preparing for Pyeongchang 2018, Tokyo 2020 and beyond," she said. 

"The APC would like to thank the ASC for its continued support, both financially and in its guidance of the internal reformation of our organisation.

"The loan gave us the opportunity to focus solely on preparations for Rio, and the generosity of the loan shows the importance of our Paralympians and the impact they make within Australian sport."

Anderson also paid tribute to the dedication of the APC staff and the support of its partners, including National Federations and state institutes and academies.

She singled out in particular APC President Glenn Tasker and his colleagues on the Board.

"Your leadership, passion and expertise  have guided us through a challenging period in the organisation's history and into a new era of Paralympic sport in Australia," she said. 

"The tireless work of each person has contributed to the growth of the movement and allowed the APC to repay the loan in a timely manner, and I look forward to seeing continued support of our Paralympians as they strive to reach new heights.

"We passionately believe that the Paralympic Movement is in a fantastic growth period, one that is garnering increasing awareness, respect and support from all sectors: Government, corporate and the wider community."

Kate Palmer, chief executive of the ASC, claimed the Paralympic athletes had been "an amazing source of inspiration" and referred to the top five-finishes at the past six Summer Games.

She claimed that each year the ASC invested AUD$17 million (£10 million/$13 million/$11.2 million) in high performance into Paralympic athletes, of which AUD$ (£2.3 million/$3 million/€2.6 million) goes in direct grants to competitors.