Cyclist Mark Colbourne has bagged ParalympicsGB's first medal of the Games - just three years after breaking his back in a horrific paragliding accident.
His breathtaking performance in the velodrome was cheered on by thousands of fans, who watched him get silver in the men's individual 1km Time Trial.
The achievement marks an incredible turnaround, after he was forced into an emergency landing when his paragliding wing collapsed in 2009.
Colbourne, a former professional Welsh volleyball player, broke his back in the fall and underwent five months of gruelling physiotherapy just to learn to walk again.
His silver medal is all the more impressive as he only took up the sport three years ago. He pipped compatriot and six-time Paralympic champion Darren Kenny, who was in third place before Colbourne's ride, to a medal position.
Speaking after the event, he said: "It's very exciting. We have worked for the last 18 months towards this."
It is hoped his silver will spark an expected gold rush, and comes before fellow cyclist and medal hopeful Sarah Storey takes to the track.
Earlier in the day, Storey beat her own world record on the track in the 3km C5 individual pursuit as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge watched on. The 35-year-old swimmer-turned-cyclist has won seven Paralympic titles since making her debut in Barcelona in the pool in 1992 and is aiming to add to her collection in London.
Swimmer Nyree Kindred also got off to a flyer by booking her passage into the S6 100 metres backstroke final by setting a Paralympic record of one minute 27.96, shaving 0.22 seconds off China's Lu Dong's time set in the previous heat.
The records came after two medal hopefuls fell at the first hurdle. Di Coates, who has spina bifida, failed to make the final in the women's R2 10m Air Rifle standing event. Ben Quilter was also downbeat after being knocked out of gold medal contention in the under 60kg judo.
