LAWFORD swimmer Ryan Crouch won through to his first Paralympic final.

Making his Games debut, he won his S9 50 metres freestyle heat, finishing first in a time of 26.54 seconds - just shy of his 26.37s personal best (PB).

It meant he reached the final as the seventh-fastest qualifier.

Crouch then ended up finishing last in the final - clocking 26.76s - but can still be hugely proud to have made it so far in Rio.

The 22-year-old now swims for Ipswich Swimming Club but is a former member of Colchester Phoenix and Harwich and Dovercourt Swimming Club.

Aged 11, he was talent-spotted by British Swimming and his international debut followed at the 2008 Danish Open.

While missing qualification for London 2012, he hit the qualification times for Rio at the British Para-Swimming International Meet in April.

He is part of a swimming team in Rio that features a formidable list of Paralympic multi-medallists, including Ellie Simmonds, Charlotte Henshaw, James Crisp, Claire Cashmore and Sascha Kindred.

Crouch, who has cerebral palsy, also raced in the 100m freestyle earlier in the week but did not make it past the heats.