He is known as the golden boy of disabled sport, and Paralympian Sascha Kindred delivered not only a gold medal but a world record in the pool in Beijing.

The swimmer from Hereford's victory in the men's SE7 100m breaststroke took his gold medal tally to six.

Kindred, 30, who has celebral palsy, produced a devastating final 50m to beat Australia's Blake Cochrane in a time of 1:22.18.

"That's the double hat-trick, I'm really chuffed," he said.

Kindred's girlfriend Nyree Lewis, 27, also from Hereford, suffered a surprise defeat when she was beaten to gold in her women's 100m backstroke swimming final. The couple are two of the most successful Paralympians of the past decade, amassing 16 medals between them.

It topped a successful day for Team UK, as it moved into second in medal table behind China, with 16 golds.

There was cause for celebration on the track yesterday as sprinter Ben Rushgrove scooped silver.

Watched by his parents, Alison and David, and coach Rob Ellchuk, the 20-year-old from Combe Down, Bath, pushed pain from a fractured metatarsal to the back of his mind to achieve a personal best in the T36 100m final.

University of Bath student Rushgrove also has cerebral palsy and is profoundly deaf, admitted to a sluggish start but managed gain a place on the podium with a late surge.

He pipped his main rival and world record holder, China's So Wa Wai, to silver in 12.35 seconds, coming in behind Ukraine's Roman Pavlyk.

Rushgrove, who smashed the world 200m record at the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester last year, was delighted to take a medal with a personal best as Pavlyk broke the Paralympic record.

Speaking from the Bird's Nest stadium he said: "It felt awesome. I came out of my blocks well and pushed all the way for silver. The Ukraine athlete beat me at the 2006 world champs, but I didn't think he would run that fast here."

Three weeks ago Rushgrove's medal prospects were looking bleak when he fractured the fifth metatarsal on his right foot.

Yesterday he was quick to thank his team for their medical support in recent weeks.

"Without the doctors and physio here in China, and at Bath, I wouldn't have made it," he said.

"They kept me in one piece after my foot injury. They were a fantastic team.

"I have never competed in front of a big crowd like this, it really spurred me on. It lifts you when you walk out through the tunnel. I want to go out there again now."

But he will have to wait a few days before his return to the track, as his 200m quest begins on Monday.

And his medal hopes are looking good, as the athlete says he is better over 200m.

Back home Rushgrove was applauded by the dozens of youngsters he had visited during inspirational talks at various schools, especially Ralph Allen in Claverton Down, where his father is head of design and technology.

A member of the University of Bath athletics squad, Rushgrove is studying for a foundation degree in sports performance.

He has represented Great Britain at the Cerebral Palsy World Championships in America in July 2005, the Open European Championships in Finland in August 2006, British Open Athletics Championships in Manchester in June 2006, Cerebral Palsy Sport Grand Prix in 2006 and the IPC World Championships in 2006, where he won bronze in the 200m and broke the European record in the 100m.

Meanwhile, the West enjoyed a successful day in the equestrian and cycling events yesterday, taking three medals in Hong Kong.

Anne Dunham, from Wiltshire, led a British one-two on her horse Teddy ahead of her team-mate Sophie Christiansen.

The British quartet of Dunham, Lee Pearson, Christiansen, and Simon Laurens, from Birdlip, Gloucestershire, took gold in the overall team event.

And in cycling, Darren Kenny, from Dorset, won his second track cycling title of the Games.