By Tom Degun in New Delhi

altOctober 8 - South African Paralympic legend Natalie du Toit stormed to victory in the women’s 100 metres butterfly S9 category to take her personal tally to three gold medals and sign off from the competition in style.


The 26-year-old, competing in her last ever race at the Commonwealth Games after announcing she will retire after the London 2012 Paralympics, never looked under threat in the two-lap race.

She finished well ahead of the field in 1min 07.32sec with England’s Stephanie Millward claiming silver and Ellie Cole of Australia bronze.

The win comes after world record holder du Toit made the third successive defence of her 50m and 100m freestyle titles earlier at the Games.

The victory also put her sixth on the list of Commonwealth Games gold medallists - with a total of seven over three Games - and means she has won the most Commonwealth Games gold medals by any athlete from any African country.

The medal was also South Africa’s 100th ever Commonwealth Games gold and du Toit, who lost her leg in a motorbike accident, admitted she was proud of her achievements.

Du Toit, who has never participated in a race at the Commonwealth Games without winning it, said: "There is definitely a bit of sadness that this is my last Commonwealth Games but it’s a happy sadness if I can say that.

"I’ve had a great Commonwealth Games and I’m so delighted to be heading home with three gold medals, so you can’t really ask for much more than that.

"Hopefully I can give it everything in the next two years up to London and be able to retire after that knowing I’ve done everything I possibly could.”

Du Toit, one of the "ost recognisable Paralympians in the world, is aiming to compete in the Olympics as well as the Paralympics at London 2012.

She actually competed against able-bodied athletes in the Beijing 2008 Olympics in the 10k open water marathon race where she finished 16th.

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