'Allo Vera

The news from the Paralympics is that today has been amazing, with team GB exceeding their target of 103 medals. The home team has moved back into second position on the medal table a long way behind China and on equal golds with Russia, but ahead on overall medals.

In the pool 15 year old school boy Josef Craig set a world record time of 4:42:81 in the men's 400 m freestyle event. Apparently he had been aiming to compete in Rio and had not really expected the win today. Instead he finished over 3 seconds ahead of the competition.

Hannah Crockroft left the rest of the field at a seeming standstill in women's 200 m T34 final.

Once again the former Paralympic swimmer turned cyclist, Sarah Storey has dominated, finishing the 46 km time trial course a full seven and a half minutes in front of the silver medallist. This is her fourth gold of these games, her 11th in total (she now has 22 Paralympic medals) and has equalled the achievements of British swimmer Dave Roberts and wheelchair racer Tanni Grey-Thompson.

In the men's 100 m final, Jonnie Peacock ran a time of 10:90 to take gold. Moments earlier David ("the Weirwolf") Weir took his third gold with victory in the 800 m final.

Out at sea Helena Lucas became GB's first Paralympic gold medal sailor. Well done.

You know despite going back to school this week after the summer holidays, LL has been rushing home each afternoon to catch up on all the Paralympic news. Love him for that; he can't get enough. Although I do fear at some point he might get upset when he realises the Olympics and Paralympics are over and probably won't come this way again in his lifetime. Still there's always the Commonwealth Games in two years time.

Anyway before I share the now customary list of team GB medals, I thought I would show you all this picture I took today of my potted Aloe Vera plant that lives in the conservatory (it has two "cousins" who live outside all year and only just survive). Anyway it seems the pampered plant might be about to flower for the first time. That or something very nasty and fiendish is about to occur LOL.

Day of the Triffids?

Bronze
Beverley Jones		Women's Discus F37
Alexandra Rickman & Niki Birrell		Women's Sailing Two Person Keelboat
Louise Watkin		Women's Swimming 200 m IM SM9
Silver
Louise Watkin		Women's Swimming 50 m Freestyle S9
Bethany Woodward		Women's 200 m T37
Stephanie Millward		Women's Swimming 200 m IM SM9
Gold
Josef Craig		Men's Swimming 400 m Freestyle S7
Sarah Storey		Women's Cycling Individual Time Trials C5
Helena Lucas		Women's Sailing One Person Keelboat
Hannah Cockroft		Women's 200 m T34
David Weir		Men's 800 m T54
Jonnie Peacock		Men's 100 m T44

Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	China	70	60	53	183
2	Great Britain	31	39	38	108
3	Russia	31	31	23	85
4	Ukraine	27	18	23	68
5	Australia	25	18	26	69
6	USA	23	21	27	71