TOP Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson won her tenth gold medal last night in the wheelchair 100m at the Athens Games.

The victory gave Britain its first track gold medal of the games and makes Grey-Thompson one of the most successful Paralympians of all time.

The Redcar athlete punched the air as she powered across the line ahead of Italian Francesca Porcellato to win the race and set a personal-best time.

A delighted Grey-Thompson, 35, who suffers from spina bifida, bounced back to medal-winning form yesterday after finishing a disappointing seventh in Monday's 800m final.

After successfully defending her 100m title, she said: "After the 800m, I thought these games were going to be a nightmare, so relief is the strongest emotion I'm feeling.

"I was so nervous with self-doubt before this race because of the 800m, when I made a split-second decision which could have been good but wasn't.

"But coming onto the track tonight one of the competitors said 'you've got the fastest time in the world this year, you're the person to beat', and that made me feel relaxed.

"I had a bit of a shaky first ten metres but it feels so good to get this out of the way. It is a huge relief for me."

Her victory in 17.24 seconds secured Britain's fifth gold of the day.

Grey-Thompson, 35, who has an OBE and MBE, will also compete in the 200m and 400m wheelchair races, and she is hoping for more medal success.

She won gold in both events at the last Paralympics in Sydney as part of a haul of four top medals.

She started her Olympic career in Seoul, in 1988, and went on to win four gold medals in the Barcelona games, one in Atlanta, and finally on to her magnificent achievement in Sydney.

Grey-Thompson, who was born in Cardiff, lives in Redcar with her husband, Ian, and daughter, Carys.