First Golds For GB On Record-Breaking Day

The British Paralympics team has won its first gold medals of the 2012 Games on a day of record-breaking performances from the country's athletes.

Cyclist Sarah Storey stormed to victory in the women's 3km C5 individual pursuit, where she wasted little time in catching Poland's Anna Harkowska.

She had previously got off to a blistering start in her pursuit of a gold and chalked up a new Games record in the process.

In front of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, she clocked three minutes 32.170 seconds to advance to the gold medal ride-off. It was the swimmer-turned-cyclist's eighth Paralympic title since making her debut in Barcelona in the pool in 1992.

The 35-year-old's triumph will be marked with the production of a stamp in her honour, which will be available to residents of her home town of Disley in Cheshire at the village's Post Office.

Jonathan Fox also won gold, in the men's S7 100m backstroke, having achieved a world record in his heat earlier in the day.

Meanwhile, cyclist Mark Colbourne's ride in the C 1-2-3 1km time trial earned him a silver medal.

Six-time Paralympic champion Darren Kenny, who has restricted movement down his right side following a car crash at age 18, came fourth.

And there were also bronzes for Ben Quilter, who beat Japan's Takaaki Hirai in the men's 60kg judo, and Zoe Newson in the 40kg class of the women's powerlifting.

Swimmer Nyree Kindred won silver in the women's S6 100 metres backstroke final after setting a Paralympic record of one minute 27.96 in the semis, shaving 0.22 seconds off China's Lu Dong's time set in the previous heat.

And 16-year-old Hannah Russell continued Britain's success in the pool with a silver in the women's S12 400m freestyle.

But there was early disappointment for medal hopeful Di Coates, who failed to make the final in the women's R2 10m Air Rifle standing event.

The 58-year-old, who has spina bifida, was competing in a British record-equalling eighth games but bowed out in the first round, saying she was affected by nerves.

UK Sport have set ParalympicsGB the minimum target of winning 103 medals from at least 12 different sports, with the overall goal of once again finishing second in the medal table.

Britain won 102 medals, including 42 golds, in Beijing four years ago to claim second place for a third consecutive Paralympic Games.

But there was controversy on the first day of the Games amid rumours that some Paralympians appeared to cover the branding of Games sponsors Atol.

The company works alongside the Department for Work and Pensions to carry out Work Capability Assessments used to decide whether an individual is fit for work and has been criticised by some for its role in slashing the benefits bill.

Locog said it was unaware that athletes had hidden the branding.

It follows protests from disability rights activists about Atol's government contract to carry out controversial tests that determine whether claimants of incapacity benefit are "fit to work".

Games organisers have repeatedly defended their decision to accept the firm's sponsorship.