Kiwi para swimmer Tupou Neiufi has won New Zealand's first gold medal, in the women's 100m backstroke S8 final at the Tokyo Paralympics.
The 20-year-old got off to a brilliant start, she was second-fastest starting and used it to power to an early lead.
At the 50m mark, Neiufi had carved out a 0.81 second lead over Ukraine's Kateryna Denysenko but the young Kiwi went up another gear to seal her first Paralympics medal, finishing in a time of 1:16.84 to win gold.
Denysenko finished 1.47 seconds back to claim silver while American para swimming great Jessica Long took bronze.
Neiufi held back tears in the pool as the moment dawned on her while other Kiwi para swimmers screamed in adoration from the stands.
Tokyo is Neiufi's second Games after debuting in Rio five years agao with a seventh-placed finish in the 100m backstroke S9 final.
It is New Zealand's second medal at the Tokyo Games after Neiufi's fellow para swimmer Sophie Pascoe opened Aotearoa's account with a silver medal Thursday evening.
Neiufi can claim a second medal next week when she competes in the 50m freestyle.
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