Charlotte Henshaw MBE and Emma Wiggs MBE got the British paracanoeing team off to a golden start as they were once again crowned Paralympic champions, in Paris.

Dave Phillipson and Hope Gordon both added superb silvers on the first day of finals action.

Charlotte capped a brilliant day as she won the first ever women's VL3 final at a Paralympic Games, leading from start to finish in a final that saw teammate Hope push her very close on the way to silver at her first Summer Games.

Emma Wiggs MBE meanwhile dug extremely deep to retain her Paralympic title in the women's VL2, the only woman to duck under a minute to win in 58.88 seconds.

It was an agonising fourth for Jeanette Chippington OBE, appearing at her eighth Games, in the same final.

Dave Phillipson got the medal rush going as he won the first Paralympic medal of his career at his fifth Games and second in paracanoe with a brilliant performance for silver in the men's KL2 final.

Robert Oliver was the other Brit in finals action and placed sixth in the men's KL3 final.

Charlotte and Emma will both compete in the women's KL2 final on the final day.

Charlotte, a Paralympic silver and bronze medallist as a swimmer, said:

“If you had told me when I moved over to this sport that I would have won two Paralympic gold medals – I wouldn't have believed you.

“I am so grateful that I found a second sport that I love. Our team is amazing and I am so proud to be part of it.

“The women's VL3 is a new Paralympic event but that means everyone wants a piece of it. It will move along at a pace. Those other women are getting faster and gunning for us.

“Hope and I have got to watch our backs and try and keep in front of them.”

Scheduled as the last event of the second day, Charlotte Henshaw MBE got the best start off the line in the women's VL3 final and was clear away early on.

Hope Gordon made sure her British teammate didn't have it easy and got to well within a metre of her.

The British pair were soon ahead of the rest of the field and Charlotte wouldn't let up on Hope as she took gold in a new Paralympic Games best of 55.70 with her teammate taking silver in 56.58.

Charlotte added:

“I don't think this one will sink in for a long time but I need to get my head around because I am racing again.

“This result gives me a boost and I really hope that I can go into tomorrow with a bit more freedom. You can never guarantee anything in sport.

“I would like to be able to race free and that is when I do my best work.”

Silver for Hope Gordon comes at her first Paralympic Games in paracanoeing having competed in para nordic skiing at Beijing 2022. She also has a second event – the women's KL3 – on the final day.

She said:

“Whatever way around it was, we wanted those two top spots so badly.

“I am so proud that we were able to do that. Charlotte has been such a pivotal part of my journey. She is a phenomenal athlete but an even better friend and I couldn't be happier to be on the podium with her.

“I've got a semi-final tomorrow so I need to park this and try and get through that and hopefully look to the final.

“I am the only one in the field who is going to have a Paralympic medal and this year I have been in my own positive bubble and I'll be continuing to do that.”

The race for medals for Emma Wiggs MBE and Jeanette Chippington OBE in the women's VL2 final was the definition of a fight.

The British pairing were one-two in the early stages as it became clear that every metre of effort would count.

Emma had the lead and it was on the others to catch her.

She did a brilliant job to hold onto all the way despite the efforts of Canada's Brianna Hennessy – the Brit was the only athlete to duck under a minute as she clocked 58.88.

Emma said:

“Incredible emotions. I wasn't quite sure what was possible.

“It's been a tough year – tough really since Tokyo – and I am so grateful to my coach and to get a medal in the bag for the team.

“It is a phenomenal team to be part of and I am just blown away that this is possible. I can't believe it.

“I was a bit worried when I got my race number, it is 44, which is my age, and I thought it was a bad omen. But it is just a number.

“I want to mention Jeanette. She is the most incredible person and teammate and someone that I am so honoured to line up next to – I am so proud of her.”

Jeanette meanwhile moved down to fourth after being second at the start. With Emma and Hennessy pulling away it was on Chippington to chase down Australia's Susan Seipel.

She battled all the way but was edged out of bronze and came fourth.

Jeanette has the women's KL1 to come on the final day.

She said:

“I am pretty gutted to come fourth. I knew it was going to be a close race. All along the Australian and I have been battling it out for those bronze medals.

“I was aiming higher but that crosswind was tough out there. It is really hard.

“I am really proud to be here. It is my eighth Games and to be here is amazing. Once it has settled down I'll be able to give myself a big pat on the back.”

The first of the nine-strong British team to battle for a medal at the Vaires-sur-Marne Stadium, the men's KL2 final involving Dave Phillipson set up the dramatic session that would follow.

Having won his semi-final, he was second after a strong start to the final but then moved down to fourth as those on either side of him fought hard.

He went back up to second but then down to fourth again through the halfway section before an all important final few metres sealed his success.

Dave produced the perfect late surge to push back into second and claim silver – and a first Paralympic medal – by 0.18 over Mykola Syniuk, the Ukrainian silver medallist from Tokyo, in bronze, letting out a huge roar after the finish.

He said:

“It shows how much it means to me – five Games. I didn't have the best heat. I put all my effort into the semi-final, raced well and was like ‘right, I'll do the same again in the final' and hope for the best.

“For some reason I had silver in my head. I just put it all out there. It hasn't sunk in yet. I took some time out after Tokyo and started again.

“We have got a great team behind us and they have supported us massively.”

Elsewhere Robert Oliver progressed out of the semi-final in the KL3 before encountering a sense of deja vu in the final.

Winning a photo finish for bronze at Tokyo in 2021, Oliver was once again among six all within a shout of a medal.

He was second through much of the first half of the race although had company closing in. There were five, including Oliver, all in a straight line in the final few metres as Algeria's Brahim Guendouz had surged ahead for gold.

It was too close to call between all five as they crossed the finish line however unfortunately for Rob the photo finish wasn't in his favour as he placed sixth – just 0.14 off bronze.

He said:

“Over the last four years I think I have been involved in three photo finishes.

“Every race I have is a photo finish, it is what it is.

“Our category is the fastest and so the margins are the tightest. I am disappointed but I live to fight another day.”