China tops 100 medals, Toit goes for fourth gold

BEIJING (AFP) - China pulled away from its Paralympic rivals Friday as the host nation's medal tally soared over 100 and South African swimming sensation Natalie du Toit set her sights on a fourth gold.

Away from the sporting arena, International Paralympic chiefs were forced to defend the controversial banning of an Irish athlete and speak out against the doping problems in powerlifting.

China's total of 103 medals means it has a bigger haul in six days of competition than it won during the whole of last month's Olympics, when it collected exactly 100.

Its 34 golds include 15 in athletics and eight in table tennis, elevating China well clear of second-placed Britain, on 31 golds and an overall total of 64.

"The Chinese athletes are doing very well and there is high morale among all the athletes from China and now they are number one in the medal tally," said Wang Wei, the vice-president of organising committee BOCOG.

But he added that promoting the Paralympic movement and the cause of people with disabilities in China was more important than medals.