Frenchman Ugo Didier and Brazilian Gabrielzinho won gold medals in impressive fashion as the first swimming titles were decided at the Paris Paralympics on Thursday.

Didier, 22, was cheered on to the men’s 400m freestyle S9 crown by a boisterous home crowd at the La Defense Arena.

He overtook one of the pre-race favourites, Italy’s world champion Simone Barlaam, after the final turn.

Australian Brenden Hall was third, having claimed gold in the race in Rio eight years ago.

With victory for Didier, who was born with club feet and weakness in his knees, the venue witnessed similar euphoric scenes to those that followed Leon Marchand’s successes during the Olympics.

“The race reflects what I trained on this year, to go again on the second part of the race,” Didier told France Televisions.

“It’s crazy here. The crowd are crazy. I’m happy to win gold at home,” he added.

Barlaam, who was born with a condition meaning his right leg is shorter than his left, now turns his mind to four other races including an attempt to recapture gold in the 50m freestyle S9 on Monday.

“I was a bit too fast out in the (first) 200 metres and I was dead at the end,” the 24-year-old said.

“I could hear my muscles screaming at me rather than (the crowd), but it was incredible getting inside the pool with that much noise,” he added.

– ‘Unreal’ Maskill world record –

Gabriel dos Santos Araujo, known as Gabrielzinho, claimed gold in the men’s 100m backstroke S2.

The 22-year-old, who has no arms or hands and atrophied legs, celebrated his third Olymp8ic gold by blowing a puff of water from his mouth, as the crowd went wild.

Gabrielzinho turned silver in the event in Tokyo into gold. He will have four other chances for a medal in the French capital including defending his 50m backstroke S2 title on Saturday.

“This was the most difficult of my races in Paris,” he said.

“So to win gold is great and now I’m focused on the other events,” he added.

Another highlight was Britain’s Poppy Maskill taking a world record in the women’s 100m butterfly S14.

“Unreal, weird,” the 19-year-old said.

“I was just hoping that I swam as hard as I could, and see what happens,” she added after claiming her country’s first gold medal of the 2024 Paralympics.

Barlaam is part of a much-fancied Italian squad, who, in the early part of the session, claimed three bronze and two silvers.

Other titles are up for grabs later on Thursday, including Barlaam’s compatriot Francesco Bocciardo defending his men’s 200m freestyle S5 title and another home hope in Alex Portal in the men’s 100m butterfly S13.