Borderer Samantha Kinghorn wins second Tokyo 2020 Paralympics medal in space of 24 hours

Gordon's Samantha Kinghorn celebrates after winning silver in the women’s 400m T53 final on day nine of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games today (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

That success came a day after the 25-year-old won her first-ever Paralympics medal, a bronze in the T53 100m.

Kinghorn, of Gordon, finished runner-up to Switzerland’s Catherine Debrunner in a time of 57.25, a whisker ahead of China’s Zhou Hongzhuan on 57.29.

Debrunner’s winning time was 56.18.

Samantha Kinghorn competing in the women’s 400m T53 final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games today, September 2 (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Talking to Channel 4 after the race, Kinghorn said: “I was literally like ‘come on, dig deep’.

“I knew Catherine was going to be strong, so when I felt her coming up my inside, I was like ‘stay with her. The closer you are to her, the more of a chance of a medal’.

“When I crossed the line, I was certain I was bronze and I was overwhelmed with that and then I heard ‘Samantha Kinghorn, silver medal and I was like ‘me? No way’.”

The former Earlston High School pupil’s two medal successes so far in Japan follow a near miss on Sunday, August 29, with a fourth-place finish in the T53 800m behind Australia’s Madison de Rozario, Hongzhuan and Debrunner.

Hongzhuan was also ahead of her yesterday in the T53 100m, won by China’s Gao Fang.