DOUBLE Paralympic Champion Eleanor Simmonds got the British Gas GBR Disability Swimming Team’s medal challenge off to a golden start by winning the S6 400m Freestyle at the IPC Swimming European Championships, writes GEMMA FIELD
Simmonds was one of five gold medallists for the Brits in Berlin and her first gold had the whole team on their feet as she broke her own world record by two seconds.
The World Champion went into the lead from the start and finished the race 17 seconds ahead of her rivals.
She won the race in a new world record time of 5:25.20 and commented: “I just went for it in that final and I am so happy to get the record. It was such a hard swim and at 200m it was tough. 400m seems so long but when you finish and you win the feeling makes it worthwhile.
“When I touched and there was no time because of the timing problem. I was a surprised and then I mistook the time of the board for 5:41 which I was really disappointed with. Then when I was told that I had got the world record I was so pleased. I have been training really hard and it’s great to have got that done on day one.”
Mirjam de Koning-Peper (Netherlands) won the silver with a time of 5:42.42 and Brit Natalie Jones won the bronze in 5:58.56.
World Champion Jonathan Fox set a new world record in the heats of the men’s S7 400m Freestyle and his aim of gold was no secret.
He lowered the record to 4:47.16 with an expertly timed heat swim and all eyes were on the race in the final between the Brit and Croatia’s former world record holder Mihovil Spanja.
Fox dominated the final 200m to put the race out of Spanja’s hands and touched in a time of 4:47.33.
“I am very pleased with that,” Fox said. “I came here to get gold and it is great to have done that. I might have gone out a bit strong but I think that the time was good. I got the record this morning and I knew I had that in me.”
Silver was won by Spanja in a time of 4:51.74 and bronze went to Marian Kvasnytsia (Ukraine) in 5:07.29.
Newcomer to the international circuit Susannah Rodgers stormed to gold in a new European record in the women’s S7 400m Freestyle.
Rodgers was pushed all the way by Germany’s defending Champion Kirsten Bruhn but Rodgers increased her speed to hold a two second lead with 100m to go.
She touched in the new record time of 5:22.61 to clinch her first international medal.
“That was a quick first 100m,” Rodgers said. “I don’t normally go out that fast but I knew the girls next to me would be quick so I wanted to go with them. I know that my turns are better so I just made sure that I got the most out of them as I could.
“It wasn’t an easy race and I tried to keep it strong throughout. They were really pushing me hard out there but it was great to race Kirsten [Bruhn].”
Bruhn won silver in 5:27.06 and Ukriane’s Ani Palian secured bronze in 5:27.58.
Rhiannon Henry secured a British record on her way to winning the women’s SM13 200m Individual Medley.
She led throughout the race to win in a time of 2:33.92 and after her race commented: “The Medley isn’t something I’ve been working on but I think I’ve moved it on in training for my other events. That was a three second pb for me and that has made me very happy.”
The silver medal went to Iryna Balashova (Ukraine) in 2:45.17 and Marta Maria Gomez Battelli won the bronze in 2:47.47.
Heather Frederiksen made a golden return to the international scene with a powerful swim in the women’s S8 100m Backstroke.
In an event that she holds the world record she secured a season’s best time in the final after she dominated the race.
She touched the wall in 1:15.90 and said: “That went really well tonight. I have not had the best preparation for this meet. I was really ill at Christmas and then three weeks ago I was back in hospital and so I have been out of the water for two weeks leading into this competition. I had a plan to get out there strong and I am happy that I have done that tonight.”
Mariann Vestbostad (Norway) took silver in 1:21.18 and Olesya Vladykina (Russia) won bronze in 1:21.92.
The youngest member of the British Gas GBR Disability Swimming Team, Andrew Mullen, won silver on his international debut. Mullen was competing in the men’s S5 50m Butterfly and finished in 42.69 to win his medal while teammate Anthony Stephens won bronze in 43.68.
Stephanie Millward and Louise Watkin won the silver and bronze medals respectively in the women’s S9 100m Freestyle. Millward finished in 1:04.30 and Watkin touched in 1:04.70. Claire Cashmore finished fourth in 1:05.16.
Robert Welbourn won the silver medal in the men’s S10 100m Freestyle after touching the wall in a time of 55.07. Graham Edmunds finished seventh in a time of 56.92.
The men’s S8 100m Backstroke saw Oliver Hynd secure bronze on his international debut. He won his medal in a time of 1:07.95. Thomas Young finished fourth in 1:08.16 and Sean Fraser took fifth in 1:09.11.
James Anderson, the oldest member of the British Gas GBR Disability Swimming team, won bronze in the men’s S2 50m Freestyle with a time close to his personal best of 1:06.62.
The women’s S3 50m Freestyle saw Fran Williamson also win bronze with a strong swim that saw her finish in a time of 1:06.79.
Gemma Almond just missed the medals in the women’s S10 100m Freestyle after touching in a time of 1:05.54. Emma Cattle took seventh in 1:06.92.
National Performance Director John Atkinson commented: “Five gold medals from five different athletes is a pleasing start to the competition. We had 14 medallists in total and all of those medals went to different swimmers so the majority of our team will be going home with a medal around their necks. This will be a good boost to team confidence as the meet progresses.”
