Paralympics 2024: Alice Tai and Becky Redfern win gold in swimming

Winnifrith qualified for the final as the second fastest, behind neutral Paralympic athlete and defending champion Mariia Pavlova.

But Pavlova started the final strongly and maintained her dominance. With a time of 1:26.09, she beat her own world record by 0.77 seconds and set a new personal best of 1:29.69 ahead of Canadian Tess Routliffe (1:31.38).

“I'm really pleased with this swim. As much as I wanted the gold medal, it's still a silver medal and my personal best,” said the Kent swimmer, who, like her idol Ellie Simmonds, has now won a Paralympic medal at the age of 13.

“I knew I had to fight for a medal. I tried to catch up with the other girl as much as possible, but today it wasn't enough.

“Ellie has influenced me so much and I have met her a few times now and she has really helped me.”

Winnifrith is Britain's youngest Paralympic swimming medallist since Scotland's Abby Kane took silver in the S13 backstroke at Rio 2016, six weeks after her 13th birthday.

Joanne Round, later Joanne Rout, remains Britain's youngest Paralympic champion, having won two gold medals in the relay at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul at the age of 12.