Golden record start for Sophie

Sophie Pascoe opened her Paraylmpic campaign in the best possible way by defending her title in the S10 200m individual medley and breaking her own world record in the process in London today.

The 19-year-old from Christchurch broke the world record in her heat and then smashed it by three seconds in the final to defend the title she won at Beijing.

It was New Zealand’s first gold medal of the games.

''It was quite unexpected,'' Pascoe said of her double world record-breaking achievements today.

''I wanted to leave more in the tank for tonight, I would have been happy with a 27 but a 25, I'm absolutely stoked.

''I did all the hard yards before I came here and that's exactly what I wanted to go out and do.''

Winning the country's first gold of the Games was special, she said.

''We came here to do the job. We've got a team of (24) athletes and we're all striving to do personal bests. That's what I came here to do, but to get on the podium is special.''

Pascoe has five events remaining and will get no time to celebrate - she's up tomorrow in the 50m freestyle.