Paralympics roundup: China win 13 gold on day four

Tan Yujiao of China celebrates after winning the women's -67kg Group A gold medal of Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sept 11, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

RIO DE JANEIRO - China claimed another 13 gold medals - including four in the pool - to surge further clear at the top of the Rio Paralympic standings on Sunday.

The Asian nation has now won 39 gold medals, 16 more than second-placed Britain and 21 more than Ukraine, who are third.

Sunday's fourth day of competition saw China win four gold medals in swimming, three in athletics, two each in table tennis and powerlifting, and one apiece in shooting and archery.

Powerlifter Tan Yujiao was one of several Chinese athletes to set new world records as she clinched gold in the women's -67kg Group A.

Tan lifted 138.5kg with her final attempt to beat her own record of 138kg set in Hungary last year.

Kazakhstan's Raushan Koishibayeva took silver with 113kg and Egypt's Amal Mahmoud bronze with 108kg.

"I didn't really think of how all the others would perform or what they're doing," Tan told the Paralympic News Service. "I just focus on myself because I think this sport is where you compete against yourself, the only one I have to defeat is myself."

"The training is like a daily routine so it is really hard to keep going but I still take a shine to it and I have determination. That's how I come to this level and I'm happy about that."

Tan, who was born with one leg longer than the other, was a silver medallist at the London 2012 Games.

She said she had improved immeasurably over the past four years.

"I was 22 years old back then and I've learned a lot of different things since so it is not like the old times," she said.

"It really comes down to being more mature and having more determination. I think the most important thing was my passion for this sport."