An emotional Sophie Pascoe says she is not happy to just win bronze in the women's 100m backstroke at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Pascoe finished third in the final tonight, after fading in the second half of the race having had the lead at the turn.
The nine-time gold medallist broke into tears speaking to 1 NEWS after the race, lamenting her own performance.
"The pain of giving it everything and it wasn't good enough," Pascoe said through the tears when asked how she was feeling.
The exhausted swimmer then had to be helped out of the media area, her muscles exhausted from the race.
She later appeared happier, smiling during the medal ceremony, and afterwards said she's named the first bronze medal of her Paralympics career "rosé".
"There's a first for everything, a first ever Paralympics bronze medal to add to the collection," she told TVNZ after being presented with her medal.
"So we're going to call this one rosé.
"It was a tough race, right, and it just goes to show this new era that's coming through now, it's incredible, that's the whole point, one of the reasons I do this, to increase the Paralympic movement, these girls are chasing that, which is fantastic to see.
Pascoe couldn’t defend her 100m backstroke title at Tokyo, but said she was delighted to win a first bronze medal.
"I'm gracious in defeat that those are the two best girls I could have asked for to stand in front of me."
The bronze medal was remarkably the first for Pascoe in her historic Paralympic career, which also features seven silver medals alongside the nine golds.
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