Cyprus President Demetris Christofias congratulated on Tuesday the island's paralympic swimming gold medalist Karolina Pelendritou for her outstanding performance at the Beijing Paralympic Games.

"I warmly congratulate you for your triumph to win, with your merit and your great effort, for the second time in Paralympic Games, a gold medal in the 100m breaststroke swimming," Christofias said in a telegram.

Pelendritou finished first in the finals of 100m breaststroke SB12 with 1:17.58 on Monday, following a new world record she set in the second heat with 1:16.82.

The president said all Cypriots were proud of her outstanding performance.

The east Mediterranean island state has sent four athletes to compete at Beijing Paralympic Games. Another Cypriot track athlete, Antonis Aresti, won a silver medal in the 200m T46 race on Tuesday.

(Xinhua News Agency September 10, 2008)