FORMER Lymm High School pupil Niki Birrell is in contention to win a medal at the Paralympic regatta in Rio with three races to go but a gold is looking out of reach.

Birrell, contesting the SKUD18 class in Great Britain’s colours with Alexandra Rickham, believes Australian duo Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch – defending champions from London four years ago – are too far in front.

“I’m a positive person, but I think the gold medal has gone,” he said.

“The Australians already had an eight-point lead before Thursday’s races, during which they got two firsts. The gap is too big.”

Birrell and Rickham, who took bronze in 2012, start Friday’s action in the same position.

They are tied on points with John McRoberts and Jackie Gay, from Canada, who occupy second spot on countback based on the number of top-three finishes each crew has had.

The Brits were fifth and then fourth in races on the Escola Naval course yesterday.

“Unfortunately it was a bad day for us,” said Birrell.

“We didn’t get the boat going fast at all at any point, nor did we start well.

“We need to bounce back for the remaining three races, which are really important now because it’s incredibly close between second, third and fourth.

“And nobody wants to finish fourth!”

Polish tandem Monika Gibes and Piotr Cichocki, who claimed the world championship title earlier this year, are only six points adrift of third place.

However Birrell, a world champion with Rickham for five successive editions from 2009, showed his fighting spirit during race two on Thursday.

Determined to finish ahead of the Canadians, the Britons edged clear on the final upwind leg before protecting their position to the finish-line.

The SKUD18 class has two races scheduled for later today, Friday, before a final showdown in an 11-race series on Saturday.

Birrell added: “With three races to go it would be foolish to do anything rash in the first one [on Friday].

“If we start trying to take out the Canadians, or vice-versa, one of us could end up with no medal at all.”