Paris 2024 Paralympics day seven: Alexa Leary breaks world record again; Qian Yang wins second gold medal in dominant table tennis display

Thanks for following an action packed day seven in Paris.

Catch us again for day eight action tonight!

Bye for now.

Alexa Leary thought things couldn't get much better after she claimed a gold medal in Paris.

The 23-year-old Sunshine Coast swimmer broke her own 100m freestyle world record to win the Paralympic S9 race in 59.53 seconds.

But the Aussie champion was blown away - again - moments after getting out of the pool.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Alexa Leary is presented with her gold medal for the women's 100m freestyle S9 final.

That world record swim was an emotional moment for an ecstatic Leary, who embraced her American rival Christie Raleigh-Crossley and formed a heart in a beautiful moment.

The 23-year-old wasn't holding back in her poolside interview on Nine's coverage.

"It's pretty awesome. I'm very impressed with myself," she declared, before opening up about her long road to Paris.

"It's been a long, rough journey for me, but it's a miracle that I'm living and I'm walking and I'm talking.

"They were told that I never would three years ago, and I've just come so far.

"I am so impressed with myself. I'm like 'Lex look how far you've actually come'.

"It's like, not sad to talk about, but it's an emotional thing, because my family is the reason why I'm here, and they're up there looking at me. But honestly, amazing."

Dealing with permanent brain damage and weakness down the right side of her body, Leary made a heart-shattering remark to her behaviour coach early last year.

"One thing she asked me was, 'What's something you love about yourself?', and I said, 'Nothing. I don't love myself'," Alexa recalled to Wide World of Sports earlier this year.

Anyone that's seen the Gold Coast girl interviewed at the Paralympics knows she's absolutely turned that attitude on its head.

Alexa Leary has beaten her own newly minted world record to claim gold in the women's 100m freestyle S9.

Fresh off a surprise world record in the heat, Leary went quicker again to finish the final in 59.53.

Cate Campbell's voice was shaking as she celebrated the incredible swim on Nine's commentary.

"Lex, you are the best," she said.

"An inspired swim, a brave swim, a courageous swim in the moment when it mattered most."

Beloved Australian Paralympian Grant "Scooter" Patterson has fought hard to get on the podium once again.

The 35-year-old – almost twice the age of the youngest swimmer in the race – was behind early due to his water-based start, compared to some para-athletes who jumped off the blocks.

He gradually hauled in para-swimmer after para-swimmer in a patient and determined performance to finish third in the men's 50m breastroke SB2 final.

"I was really worried for him with 25 to go, but I really shouldn't," Australian Olympic swimming legend Cate Campbell said on Nine's commentary.

"I should know by now that I need to back him."

We're off and racing in the pool and Australia's Ricky Betar has picked up a bronze medal in his debut Paralympics.

The 20-year-old got out to a flyer in the 200m medley SM14, leading after the freestyle and backstroke.

But red-hot favourite Nicholas Bennett of Canada hauled him in during the breaststroke and powered away to claim gold and set a new Paralympic record of 2:06.05.

Betar fell out of the medal placings but fought back in the freestyle, smashing his personal best and setting an Oceania record with 2:08.69, just one tenth of a second off silver.

The Paralympics are full of stories about families who convinced their para-athletes they could do things they never thought possible.

Then there's "Flying Mullet" Alistair Donohoe's mum, Amanda, who freely admitted she was the one who'd been "proven wrong".

"I never, ever thought it would get to this level, though," she said, sitting alongside her son after he claimed silver in the men's C5 individual time trial. 

"I said to him the other day that I remember Cadel Evans saying how much you had to drive – ride – solo to be a really competitive athlete. 

"And I just thought, you know, when he was like 17 or 18, he's never going to make it. 

"He just loves to talk and socialise. How is he ever going to do a really long training ride on his own, you know? 

"And boy, I've been proven wrong."

Of course, the loving mum was thrilled to see her son medal at the Games, saying it was "thrilling and exciting" after all his hard work.

Australia's most successful female Paralympian, Ellie Cole has been brought to tears by a moving video from Nine swimming commentator and four-time Olympic gold medallist Cate Campbell.

Nine's Wide World of Sports produced a package, voiced by Campbell, that tells the story of her younger brother Hamish who has severe cerebral palsy and requires constant care.

In the video titled It Takes a Village, Campbell details the supporting roles of the family and friends of Australia's Paralympic athletes on their road to Paris 2024.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.