The Chinese, who topped the medal table in Beijing four years ago, took three Swimming titles, two Track Cycling golds and one in Shooting as they ended the day with 15 medals in total.

Zheng Tao and Lu Dong set new world records in the men's and women's 100m Backstroke - S6 respectively, while Du Jianping secured the men's 50m Breaststroke - SB2 crown.

In the Velodrome, Li Zhang Yu was victorious in the men's Individual C1-2-3 1km Time Trial before Zeng Sini won the women's Individual C1-2-3 Pursuit.

The gold rush had been started earlier in the day by shooter Zhang Cuiping, who took the honours with a new world record in the women's R2-10m Air Rifle Standing - SH1, the first medal event of the Games.

One of the pioneers of Paralympic sport, South African swimmer Natalie du Toit, who will bow out of competition after London, won her 11th gold medal with a third Games victory in the 100m Butterfly - S9.

Du Toit, who won in 1:09.30, said: 'I think I am just relieved really. I am not really happy with the time but it's great to have that one over. It's the last time I'll swim the 100m Butterfly, so that's the third race and three golds.'

Zheng and Lu took victory in the first two events of the night with times of 1:13.56 and 1:24.71 respectively.

'I am not really surprised as I do these times in training every day,' said Zheng.

Benoit Huot of Canada lowered his own 200m Individual Medley - SM10 record to 2:10.01 as did Daniel Dias in the 50m Freestyle - S5 (32.05).

Sophie Pascoe lowered the women's 200m Individual Medley - SM10 record she had cut this morning to 2:25.65.

Britain's Jonathan Fox won the 100m Backstroke - S7 in 1:10.46 after lowering his own world record this morning.

Other gold medallists in the pool included Sergey Punko, fellow Russian Oxana Savchenko, Jessica Long, Charles Rozoy, Tamas Sors, Jacqueline Freney and Nataliia Prologaieva.

China also won the opening two events of the Track Cycling programme courtesy of Li and Zeng.

Australia's Susan Powell won the women's Individual C4 Pursuit and Kieran Modra and Scott McPhee triumphed in the day's final event, the men's Individual B Pursuit, after Britain's Sarah Storey delighted the home fans by winning the Individual C5 Pursuit, the Host Nation's first gold of the Games.

In the Shooting, Zhang had the honour of winning the first gold of the Games. She was a class above her rivals as she finished with 500.9 points.

There was a nail-biting finish to the men's P1-10m Air Pistol-SH1 as Republic of Korea's Park Seakyun won a shoot-off against Turkey's Korhan Yamac to take gold.

Nigeria's Yakubu Adesokan twice broke his own world record as he clinched Powerlifting gold at the ExCeL.

The 33-year-old, competing in the -48kg class, broke his own world record with a lift of 178kg and then repeated the feat minutes later, as an 180kg lift earned him gold in style.

Turkey's Muslu took gold in the women's -40kg category.

German twin sisters Carmen and Ramona Brussig both won Judo gold.

Carmen saw off Lee Kai-Lin of Chinese Taipei to win the -48kg final, while Ramona followed in her footsteps against China's Wang Lijing in the -52kg.

Ukraine's Davyd Khorava beat Zhao Xu of China to win the men's -66kg, while another Chinese Judoka, Li Xiaodong, could not overcome Azerbaijan's Ramin Ibrahimov in the -60kg category.