The 20-year-old from Christchurch set a world best time in the 100m freestyle, taking over two seconds off the previous mark with a time of 1min 0.47sec in the heat, before returning to the pool in the evening to become the first athlete to go under the one minute mark, bettering her record once again with a time of 59.50.

This followed her opening day world record in the 50m butterfly, again taking over two seconds off the previous best time to clock a world best time of 35.14.

Pascoe has been in sensational form over the last year, picking up three silver and three gold medals at London 2012to add to the three golds and one silver that she won at Beijing 2008, where she became the youngest Paralympian from New Zealand to take a gold medal.

New Zealander Sophie Pascoe took three gold and three silver medals at London 2012

Five world titles at the World Swimming Championships in Montreal last month also secured Pascoe the IPC Athlete of the Month award, adding to the Halberg Award for Disabled Sportsperson of the Year for the third consecutive year.

Fellow 20-year-old Paralympic star Mary Fisher was also in record-breaking mood as she went under the 33-second mark to set a world best time in the 50m butterfly, clocking 32.91 in her second race of the evening.

Fisher is another of New Zealand's bright hopes for Rio 2016 after taking one gold, two silvers and a bronze at London 2012 along with five world titles and a silver medal at the World Championships.

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