Wenpan Huang

When you are the most decorated athlete from the most medalled country at a Paralympic Games, you know you are doing something right.

That is exactly what China’s Wenpang Huang achieved at Rio 2016, where he won five gold medals in the men’s S3 and SB2 events. He also reached new world records in the 50m breaststroke, 50m freestyle, 200m freestyle and 150m individual medley. That included lowering the 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke world record in the heats and finals.

Huang, who has cerebral palsy and took up swimming in 2010, also left Brazil as the third most decorated athlete overall.

However Huang did not have it all his own way in Rio. Ukraine’s Dmytro Vynohradets prevented him from a clean sweep of golds by winning the 50m backstroke.

That was the first time the pair competed against each other at the highest level, and they will meet again at the 2017 World Para Swimming Championships in Mexico City from 30 September.