The last day of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Regatta saw Great Britain dominate with three golds and one silver, triple that of the number of medals of the next best nations Australia and Israel who took one gold and one bronze each.

PR1 Women's Single Sculls

The PR1 Women's Single Scull offered the first chance for medals in the Paris Paralympic Regatta. Having won bronze at Rio 2016 and silver at Tokyo 2020, Israel's Moran Samuel secured gold on her third attempt beating reigning Paralympic Champion and competition favourite, Birgit Skarstein of Norway.

The Norweigan fell behind Samuel and ended up fighting it out with France's Nathalie Benoit and Ukraine's Anna Sheremet but narrowly beat out a late sprint by Benoit who was cheered on by the home crowd in the last race of her career.

It ended with Birgit Skarstein taking silver, Nathalie Benoit securing bronze, and Anna Sheremet repeating her Tokyo finish of fourth. 

“I completed the series. It means a lot of hard work, dedication, determination and perseverance, not just of me. Of my wife, of my children, and the whole country of Israel," said Samuel. "I had the bronze in Rio, the silver in Tokyo. I had these two (Skarstein and Benoit) to race over and over again, and lose over and over again, to win this one race, which was the most important one.”

PR1 Men's Single Sculls

The PR1 Men's Single Sculls final also saw the favourite and reigning Paralympic Champion fall in a surprise defeat as Great Britain’s Benjamin Pritchard finished ahead of Ukraine's Roman Polianskyi who won gold at both Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016.

The aftermath of the final was dogged by controversy surrounding Italy's Giacomo Perini who initially finished third behind Polianskyi and Pritchard. 

Perini was then stripped of his Paralympics bronze medal after he was disqualified by World Rowing for having a mobile phone on his boat during Sunday's event.

“In the final of the PR1 M1x, the ITA PR1 MRX was found to be using communications equipment during the race, in breach of Rule 28 and Appendix R2, Bye-Law to Rule 28,’ World Rowing said in a statement. “As a result, the crew has been excluded from the event and will be ranked last.”

The Italian Federation decided to appeal the decision with Perini insisting it was an oversight and the phone hadn't been used but it was upheld by World Rowing and with Perini instead ranked last Australia’s Erik Horrie was promoted to the bronze medal position.

“It’s been a three-year process. It hasn’t sunk in. I’m elated," said Pritchard. "We did my process, my race plan, and look what paid off. The outcome is special. I’ve got friends, I’ve got family, I’ve got half of Swansea in that stand. I can’t wait to go celebrate with them.”

PR2 Mixed Double Sculls

Republic of China’s Shuang Liu and Jijian Jiang were dominating the PR2 mixed double sculls but a final sprint from Lauren Rowles and Gregg Stevenson saw them secure a second gold for Great Britain with an extraordinary last 100 meters. 

The win meant Lauren Rowles made history becoming the first three-time Paralympic Champion in rowing having notched her third consecutive Paralympic gold medal.

Bronze went to Israel’s Shahar Milfelder and Saleh Shahih who finished just ahead of Ukraine's Anna
Aisanova and Iaroslav Kouida.

“You either show up or you show out at these Paralympic Games! I don’t think you could put into words how much it means," said Lauren Rowles while silver-medallist Liu said “It’s really exciting. We are old friends and old enemies with the British boat. It’s a pity we couldn’t win gold.”

PR3 Mixed Double Sculls

Making its Paralympic debut in Paris, the PR3 mixed double sculls gold medal race was won by Australia’s Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager by just over a second. 

Close behind the whole way Great Britain’s Annie Caddick and Sam Murray secured silver with Germany’s Jan Helmich and Hermine Krumbein pushing them to the wire right at the end but ultimately finishing just 0.12 seconds behind the Brits.

“It’s a symbol of hope and never giving up on your dreams. For every person out there with a disability, male, female, everyone. Never give up and keep striving for your dreams and it’ll come true,” said Australia’s Paralympic gold-medallist Nikki Ayers after the race.

PR3 Mixed Coxed Four

The PR3 Mixed Coxed Four presented Great Britain with the opportunity to win a third gold of the day as firm favourites in the final rowing event. 

The USA gave them a run for their money but ultimately finished three seconds behind Team GB who continued an extraordinary fourteen-year winning streak.

France secured the bronze medal in the narrowest of margins on home waters as a photo finish camera showed that they had finished ahead of Germany by just 0.06 seconds.

“Eighteen years ago today I was in a car accident that led me to becoming a Paralympic athlete. It’s an anniversary that I’m going to celebrate now with a gold medal. Every year this is going to be a golden moment,” said Team GB's Giedre Rakauskaite. 

“The Paralympic Games is like a second chance. I always wanted to be an athlete when I was a child, and I thought that chance was taken from me finding out in my 20s that I could still pursue my dream as a Paralympian was something that I latched on to and clearly didn’t give up.”