SOPHIE Christiansen believes her meticulous attention to detail paid off after claiming dressage Ia gold at the Paralympic Games in Rio.
The 29-year old investment banker and mathematics postgraduate from Sunningdale is good with numbers and her score of 78.217 on horse Athene Lindeberg was enough to beat ParalympicsGB team-mate Anne Dunham by nearly four points.
In addition, both their points scores guaranteed Great Britain victory in the team event, a competition since won at every Games since 1996.
Christiansen, who attended Charters School, said: "I've always want to do my best at everything I put my hand to – whether that’s academic work or sport.
"It's going to sound big-headed but I think you have to have more than talent to stay at the top.
"Ask my carer - I'm so meticulous, I time my days down to last second. Because of my disability and fatigue levels, and my work, I have to plan my year to peak at the right time.
"This is surreal at the moment. I've had a change of coach and just injury after injury and up until last week, I didn't even know which horse I would be bringing."
Maidenhead resident Christiansen has now won seven gold Paralympic medals.
The four-time Paralympian's success in the individual dressage lA, defending the title she won four years earlier in London, also secured ParalympicsGB overall team gold.
Earlier Natasha Baker won gold in the II dressage and her scores, combined with Christiansen, Dunham and Sophie Wells - who won the IV title yesterday - meant ParalympicsGB continued their long domination of the team event, a winning run dating back to 1996.
Christiansen's double success at the Olympic Equestrian Centre moved ParalympicsGB to 49 gold medals across all sports since the Games began last Wednesday.
Christiansen will now look to repeat her gold medal hat-trick from London 2012 in today's freestyle competitions.
Meanwhile, Maidenhead's Jeanette Chippington won canoeing gold for ParalympicsGB yesterday.
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