La Défense Arena witnessed quite the show on the Paralympic debut of Spain’s new ‘Wonder Girl’ just four months after clinching the European title and a year on from her world championship defence.

Dmytriv, who was born without her right forearm, was nicknamed like the popular Marvel Comics superhero as well as the ‘Pearl’ of Spanish Paralympic swimming by local sports newspaper Marca. "I am very happy and very proud of the work done. My ambition is to do my best and fight for the medal," said the phenom, who competes under the Southern European country’s flag after being nationalised.

The 16-year-old Spanish swimmer was one of the stars of day two in Para swimming as she beat Great Britain’s world record holder Brock Whinston to claim the women’s 100m breaststroke SB8 gold in 1:19.75. “I am really proud and happy for the work I have done. I wanted to do it the best possible way. Now I have more experience than I had at the World Championships and I can enjoy more,” she told reporters after the win.

Once she had secured Spain's first gold at the Paris Games, Dmytriv met Spain's Queen Letizia, who is watching a variety of events in the French capital. "She told me that she was very proud and happy and that now I had to do my best in the following events," the teenage swimmer shared.

Dmytriv was born in the western Ukrainian region of Lviv, which suffered attacks on energy facilities by Russian forces earlier this month as part of Moscow's "special military operations". She moved to Andalucia in southern Spain aged just two due to her parents' work commitments and started swimming aged just four. Nine years later, she won her maiden world championship medal, 12 months before defending it.

Asked about the war raging on in Ukraine, the Paralympian admitted it has been tolling on her quite a bit. "At first I thought about it a lot. In the end all you have to do is get used to it," she explained. Dmytriv has three more chances to add to her medal haul with Wednesday's race as well as the 200m individual medley SM9 24 hours later and Friday's 100m butterfly S9.

Having only turned 16 earlier this month, she has a promising Paralympic future ahead of her, even if she is five years older than the youngest Paralympian ever, Poland's table tennis player Natalia Partyka, who was 11 at the 2000 Sydney Games. "I hope to compete in more," Dmytriv said. "I hope to enjoy them like I have done with this one."