Rio Paralympics 2016

Paralympics come to close in ceremony tinged with sadness

After 11 days of action, the Games were brought to a close with a plethora of pyrotechnics, while the athletes and spectators were also treated to a variety of musical performances.

But it was a celebration tinged with sadness, with a moment of silence held for Iranian para-cyclist Bahman Golbarnezhad, who died following a crash in the men's cycling C4-5 road race on Saturday.

Malone wins second gold

Malone convincingly won the men's 400 metres T44 and set a Paralympic record of 46.20 seconds.

Malone - known as New Zealand's blade-runner - showed his true power moving through the race and was just too strong to cross the line just ahead of David Behre of Germany and Hunter Woodhall of the USA.

This gold medal today takes Malone's medal haul to two gold and one silver at his first ever Paralympic Games.

The 22-year-old student also won gold in the Men's 200m T44 and silver in the Men's 100m T44.

Flag bearer Holly Robinson wins silver in Rio

Robinson threw a personal best of 41.22m on her fifth attempt to secure the silver medal.

She proudly took the New Zealand flag once again from her supporters, and held it high as she celebrated her success.

The gold was won by Great Britain's Holly Arnold with a world record throw of 43.01m

Robinson's silver is the first medal since yesterday's 'gold rush' for the New Zealand Paralympic Team, when they won a record three gold medals and one bronze.

Gold for Leslie in Paralympics pool

Leslie finished in a time of 2:23:12 minutes, breaking his own world record and beating the silver medal winner Zhipeng Jin from China by more than three seconds.

Denmark's Jonas Larsen won bronze.

Leslie's gold New Zealand's fifth of the Paralympics.

Swimmers Sophie Pascoe and Mary Fisher are competing shortly for medals in the pool.

Photo: Photosport

Gold for Sophie Pascoe

Pascoe finished nearly a full second ahead of Bianka Pap of Hungary and Alice Tai of Great Britain.

She went into the final having qualified fastest in the heats.

Pascoe regained the title she lost in London four years ago, but says she found the final pretty tough.

"I went out in the first 50 metres pretty much towards race plan and then the last 50 metres was hard and they came back in the last 25 [metres]," she said.

"It was just about guts and digging deep. Tonight was about coming out and getting the gold medal and that is exactly what I have done.

Emma Foy wins cycling silver in Rio

 The pair finished behind Great Britain in the women's B 3000m Individual Pursuit.

New Zealand's newest tandem pairing of Amanda Cameron and Hannah van Kampen finished fourth.

Foy, who only entered the sport of para-cycling just over three years ago, is joined by sighted pilot Thompson who brings extensive Paralympic Games experience after winning the trifecta of medals at London 2012.

Para-cycling was about team work with pilot Laura Thompson, Foy told Morning Report

Pacific athletes underway at Rio Paralympics

RNZ reports Papua New Guinea's Joyleen Jeffrey ran a season best time in the women's 100m T12 event at the Olympic Stadium.

The 26 year old finished third in her heat in 15.33 seconds but failed to qualify for the semi finals.

Jeffrey, who is also entered in the 200m event, was the slowest of the 11 athletes to complete the race, while one competitor from Ukraine was disqualified and a Frenchwoman failed to start.

Fiji's Merewalesi Roden was beaten in straight sets, 11-2 11-3 11-5, by Young-A Jung from South Korea in the Class 5 women's table tennis singles.

NZ Paralympians target 12 golds in Rio

Chef de Mission Ben Lucas said their aim in Rio wasn't an increase in the number of medals, but rather they were chasing more gold.

Lucas said there were high expectations for the 31-strong New Zealand team that would compete across six sports.

In London, four years ago, the country's 24-strong team won 17 medals with six of those gold.

Lucas said there was more depth in the team now.