China won three team events Friday and nine in total as it edged closer to a century of gold medals at the Rio Paralympics. The Asian nation finished the ninth day of competition with 93 gold, 74 silver and 49 bronze medals, ahead of Britain (58 gold), Ukraine (38), the United States (36) and Australia (17). Two of China's team victories came in table tennis and the other in wheelchair fencing. In one of the most entertaining gold medal deciders of the Rio Games, China defeated Germany 2-1 to clinch the table tennis men's team class 3 title. Germany's Thomas Schmidberger and Thomas Bruchle won the opening doubles encounter against Feng Panfeng and Zhao Ping 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-6). Feng then beat Schmidberger 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-4) before Zhai Xiang overcame Bruchle Thomas in a gripping five-setter 11-9, 11-6, 6-11, 9-11, 11-5. China's other table tennis team success came in the CL 1-3 final, in which Li Qian and Xue Juan defeated Andela Muzinic and Helena Dretar Karic of Croatia. The Chinese pair won the doubles encounter 3-0 (11-6, 11-2, 11-4) before Li wrapped up the tie with a 3-1 (11-3, 11-5, 11-13, 11-5) singles victory over Muzinic. In the wheelchair fencing men's foil team final, China's Ye Ruyi, Sun Gang and Hu Daoliang defeated Poland's Michal Nalewajek, Dariusz Pender and Jacek Gaworski 45-27. Britain surpassed its London 2012 medal tally of 120. The team has now won 126 medals, including nine more golds Friday. Gordon Reid won the wheelchair tennis final, Hannah Cockroft clinched the T34 800m, there was swimming relay gold and Sophie Christiansen,Lee Pearson and Natasha Baker won in the dressage. Paul Blake took T36 400m gold, there was boccia success for David Smith, and John Walker landed archery gold. Sophie Wells, 26, and 67-year-old Anne Dunham both won silver in the dressage, and silvers also went to T1-2 road cyclist David Stone and Andrew Marren, in the S5 50m backstroke. The Briton finished behind Brazilian swimming superstar Daniel Dias, who won his third gold and seventh medal of the Games. The 28-year-old has now amassed 21 Paralympic medals in his career. Discus thrower Dan Greaves maintained his record of having won a medal at every Games, by winning his fifth in his fifth Paralympics. This time it was bronze for the Leicestershire-born 33-year-old in the F44 final. — Agencies
