British Paralympians win more medals at Rio than in London – with two days of the Games still remaining

Britain now has 56 gold medals

Hannah Cockroft’s win in the T34 800 metre final saw Britain match its 2012 haul (Getty)

Great Britain's Paralympians have won more medals at Rio 2016 than they managed four years ago in London, with two days of the Games still remaining.

Hannah Cockroft's T34 800 metres athletics gold - her third of the Rio Games - saw Britain match their haul of 120 medals from London 2012.

And her 15-year-old team-mate Kare Adenegan finished with bronze to move ParalympicsGB above the London haul, meeting the target set by funding partners UK Sport.

The successes took Britain's total to 56 gold medals, including three equestrian titles on Friday's ninth day of competition.

Paul Blake claimed Britain's 50th gold of the XV Paralympics in the T34 400 metres athletics on Friday morning and David Smith won the 51st with boccia victory.

Mr Smith, who won team gold in Beijing eight years ago, claimed individual gold in BC1 boccia - a sport similar to boules for athletes with cerebral palsy and similar functional impairments. He beat Holland's Daniel Perez 5-0.

The 27-year-old from Eastleigh, Hampshire won individual silver and team bronze at London 2012.

The equestrian riders added to the total with an imperious display, ensuring Britain won a best-ever haul of seven equestrian gold medals. Sophie Christiansen and Natasha Baker completed their hat-trick of titles, while Lee Pearson also won gold, the 11th of his distinguished Paralympic career.

And Gordon Reid beat team-mate Alfie Hewett in the men's wheelchair tennis singles final.

Sophie Wells and Anne Dunham also took equestrian silvers on Friday, while David Stone claimed T1-2 cycling road race silver. Class 6-8 bronze in the team table tennis - for Will Bayley, Aaron McKibbin and Ross Wilson - saw Britain's total rise to 119 before Cockroft and Adenegan delivered.

Great Britain remains second in the overall medal table behind China’s haul of 90 gold medals.

The medal target set by UK Sport, the British Paralympic Association, was 121 - or more medals than at London 2012. Great Britain has now won a total of 123.

Ukraine is in third place with 36 gold medals, the US is in fourth with 33 and Australia is currently fifth with 17 golds.

Press Association