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Ellie Simmonds takes bronze at Rio 2016 Paralymics

Ellie Simmonds relinquished the S6 400 metres freestyle title she first won in Beijing aged 13 at the Rio Paralympic Games on Tuesday night.

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The 21-year-old from Aldridge, who won SM6 200m individual medley gold on Monday's fifth day, finished third in her favourite event, which she also won at London 2012.

Ukraine's Yelyzaveta Mereshko, the world record holder, won in a Paralympic record of five minutes 17.01 seconds.

Song Lingling of China was second in 5mins 21.37secs and Simmonds was third in 5:24.87.

Her British team-mate Ellie Robinson, who won S6 50m butterfly gold on day two, was fourth in 5:27.35.

Speaking just after the race, Simmonds said: "I just dived in and it wasn't there. I don't know what happened at all. It just wasn't good enough today."

"I've got the 100 breast and 100 free to go so I'm going to go out there and enjoy those two. Tonight wasn't what I wanted. It doesn't happen every night, and last night I got what I wanted."

Earlier on day six, Georgina Hermitage, Hollie Arnold and Rob Davies took Great Britain's Paralympic Games gold medal haul to 31.

Sprinter Georgina Hermitage won her second gold of the Rio Games with victory in the T37 400 metres and Arnold claimed F46 javelin glory.

Stephen Miller took F32 club throw bronze and Davies triumphed in the Class 1 singles table tennis, emulating Will Bayley's success 24 hours earlier.

There was also a bronze medal for Jamie Burdekin and Andy Lapthorne in the quad doubles tennis event.

Simmonds and 15-year-old Ellie Robinson had qualified third and fourth fastest for tonight's final.

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