Stone bounces back to capture golden hat-trick at Brands Hatch

Stone, who has cerebral palsy and rides a tricycle, took the 24km road race on Saturday to win his third Paralympic gold medal, seven seconds ahead of Italy’s Giorgio Farroni.

Stone, 31, had to settle for bronze in his time trial event earlier last week, and he admitted Saturday’s triumph had lifted him.

“It makes it better to win today because it was so disappointing not winning in the time trial,” he said.

“Compared to Beijing, the competition was so much better. It’s good, it pushes me. It makes it a much better sport.

“The crowd were fantastic today. I couldn’t let them down.”

David Weir came through the hardest race of his life to complete a golden quadruple on the final day of London 2012 and end a stunning summer of sport in style.

The ‘Weirwolf’, released on to the sunny streets of the capital after a week of track domination, felt he was wilting in the near 30 degree heat just five miles into yesterday’s marathon as his punishing schedule threatened to take its toll.

But, urged on by the cheers of thousands of fans lining the looped city centre course, he dug as deep as he could go before timing his sprint finish to perfection down The Mall.

Victory sealed a clean sweep and a week to remember for the 33-year-old, who added a fourth title to his T54 800m, 1500m and 5,000m crowns and confirmed his status as one of the heroes of the Games.

And more British success was to follow as Shelly Woods, in contrast to Weir looking to make up for three successive disappointments in the Olympic Stadium, claimed silver in the women’s event.

“It was tough, the first five miles I was absolutely dying to tell the truth,” said Weir, a six-time London Marathon winner.

“I didn’t think I was going to manage to cope, with the heat and everything. I felt flat.

“I had to just dig deep and have another energy shot that I took with me just to get me going. That was meant for about 16 miles, not the first five miles, but I’m glad I took it on board. It just gave me a bit more energy.

“That was the toughest race I’ve ever raced in my life.

“They were all working together to try and stop me, but I’m used to that. I do my own thing and race as best as I can.”

The Londoner finished in one hour 30.20 minutes, just a second ahead of silver medallist Marcel Hug and Australian defending champion Kurt Fearnley, who won bronze.

Elsewhere, Yorkshireman Craig McCann was in the British fencing team beaten 45-19 by China in their men’s team epee quarter-final at the ExCeL.

Swimmer Ellie Simmonds set her sights on Rio de Janeiro in 2016 after winning a fourth medal.

Simmonds, 17, added a silver to her two golds and one bronze when she finished second, 1.49 seconds behind American Victoria Arlen, who lowered a world record she already held in the S6 100 metres freestyle to one minute 13.33 seconds.

“Silver is really good. I went out there and did the best I could,” said Simmonds.

“I would have loved to have got that gold, but you can’t have everything your own way. She pushed me to my limit, and I think my limit is 1min 14sec at this point in time.

“I would love to go to Rio. I will definitely be going to the next Games. I love the Paralympics – they are amazing.”

Harriet Lee added the SB9 100m breaststroke bronze to the world title she won in 2010, but with only three visits to the podium over the last two sessions, it meant the team finished with 39 medals, one short of the target set by UK Sport.

Lora Turnham and her pilot Fiona Duncan finished eighth in the women’s tandem road race, while Ireland’s Katie Dunlevy and her pilot Sandra Fitzgerald were fifth and Catherine Walsh and her pilot Francine Meehan ninth.

Turnham and Duncan were the final British cyclists to compete in the Games, leaving the hosts with a total of 22 medals, eight of them gold, across road and track.

David Smith won a silver medal in the boccia mixed individual BC1 final after he was beaten by Thailand’s Pattaya Tadtong at the ExCeL.

“All I wanted to do was do myself justice for the training I’ve put in for the past four years,” said Smith, who is from Eastleigh in Hampshire. “I was struggling in the first end because of his power and placement of the ball. In the second end, I played better. I executed well and was happy with how I played.

“Any other day, I could have won.”

Stephen McGuire, though, saw his hopes of a bronze medal dashed by Brazilian Eliseu Dos Santos in the mixed individual final BC4.

Javelin thrower Nathan Stephens, who lost his legs in an accident on a railway line on his ninth birthday, suffered disappointment in the javelin as he finished 12th.

The 24-year-old Welshman, the world champion, fouled his first two attempts and could manage just 33.10m on his third.

That was only good enough for 702 points in the F57/58 competition, 199 away from the total needed to make the top eight and earn another three throws.

Britain’s wheelchair basketball men’s team lost the bronze medal match 61-46 to the United States at North Greenwich Arena.

“We’ll be as well prepared as we can for Rio, and I think the standard we’ve seen from the boys is quite considerable,” said coach Murray Treseder.

“We’ve got to find, in particular, some new low pointers, which is critical for us, and go from there.”

David Clarke signed off his international career with a goal as Britain finished seventh in the five-a-side football tournament with a 2-0 win over Turkey at the Riverbank Arena.