China's gold rush to 83 at Paralympics

LONDON -- China kept its gold-taking momentum at the London Paralympics, collecting 13 gold medals on Friday to boast a total of 83. Australian swimmer Jacqueline Freney stunned the world with a grand slam of eight golds from her eight events attended.

China, which topped the gold tally of Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 with 63 and 89 golds respectively, is leading the London 2012 table with 83 gold, 65 silver and 58 bronze medals, followed by hosts Britain with 32-40-42, Russia 32-35-25, Ukraine 30-19-25, Australia 29-20-26, and the United States 27-25-33.

With only two days of competitions, China is sure to be on top of the medal standings. The only question is if China can refresh the record of 89 golds made by itself in Beijing.

In Day 9 competition, China's clinched six golds from track and field, three from swimming, two from table tennis, and one each from wheelchair fencing and women's sitting volleyball.

The Chinese women's sitting volleyball team beat the United States 3-1 in the final to achieve a hat-trick from Athens 2004 to London 2012.

China's 15-year-old swimmer Yang Yang won the men's 50m freestyle to be the top Chinese medalist here with four golds.

But the most shinning star in the Paralympic pool is Jacqueline Freney from Australia, who was crowned in the women's 4x100m medley to get her eighth gold out of her eight competing events in London.

The 20-year-old Australian, who suffers celebral palsy, stood on top podium of all the eight events she attended, fulfilling an incredible grand slam.

She also refreshed three world records in London.

She is sure to be the top medallist of the London Paralympics.

Her eight events are Women's 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, 400m Freestyle, 50m Butterfly, 100m Backstroke, 200m Individual Medley, 4x100m Freestyle Relay, and 4x100m Medley Relay, all in S7 class.

Freney began competing in swimming carnivals on New South Wales' north coast at age six. Her parents managed public swimming pools for a living and so swimming has always been a huge part of her life.

Her grandfather, Peter Freney, is an accomplished swimming coach. He coached top Australian Paralympian Siobhan Paton and received a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to swimming.

Freney was awarded an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship in May 2008, and then took three bronze medals in the Beijing Paralympic Games.