The ParalympicsGB swimming team put in another strong performance during the final day of heats at the Beijing Paralympic Games.

Seven athletes and the 34 point Medlay relay team qualified for their finals after excellent performances this morning.

First up on the final day of competition was Rob Welbourn in the men’s S10 400m Freestyle and he didn’t disappoint. He entered pool-deck looking confident and looked strong during his heat.

He lay in second place at the halfway mark and it was a close fought victory, but Welbourn claimed the number one spot in his heats with a time of 4:18.19 to qualify fastest for the final.

“I took it easy out there,” Welbourn said. “With the relay I have a lot of races today and I knew I had to conserve my energy. I wanted to go at a steady pace and seeing the second heat I could have gone slower. I am just going to see what happens in the final now.”

Jim Anderson continued his fight for his gold medal in the men’s S2 50m Backstroke and he was ranked number one going into the heats.

Anderson swam in the second heat and watched his rival Dmitry Kokarev touch home in a time of 1:06.21 and the ParalympicsGB swimmer knew he had to swim fast to threaten Kokarev.

The Paralympic Champion had an excellent start and finished in 1:05.56 to qualify fastest for the final.

“I know I can go quicker,” Anderson said. “I want the gold so badly and I will fight for it.”

Fran Williamson went into the heat of the women’s S3 50m Backstroke hungry for more success after her bronze two days ago.

She swam well and touched home in a time of 1:06.75 to qualify second fastest for the final.

“That was alright although I was hurting quite a lot,” Williamson said. “I was aiming to just qualify for the final and to be ranked second is good. In the final I will go out as hard as I can and I want to be on the podium again.”

Three ParalympicsGB athletes qualified for the final of the women’s S6 50m Freestyle after excellent performances.

Liz Johnson lowered her personal best time in the second heat with a time of 39.71 to seal her final place.

Double Paralympic Champion Eleanor Simmonds swam well and secured a time of 38.30 to qualify fifth fastest for the final.

Natalie Jones looked hungry for more success in the water cube and won her heat with an excellent time of 38.13 to find herself ranked third fastest for the final.

“I just went for it in that race,” Jones said. “I am happy with the time and I am well up for the final. I am going into it ranked third and that is great so I just need to turn it on fully this evening.”

The women’s S2 50m Backstroke saw three S1 swimmers looking to seal their place in the final and ParalympicsGB swimmer Danielle Watts looked good as she lowered the S1 Paralympic record in her heat as she finished in 1:27.90.

The men’s 4x100m Medley 34 point relay saw the ParalympicsGB team battle for their place in the final. The team, which consisted of Sean Fraser, Sam Hynd, Graham Edmunds and Dave Roberts, looked good but found it too much to catch the American team in their heat.

The team finished in a time of 4:34.17 to qualify seventh for the final.

Double Paralympic Champion Sascha Kindred and double Paralympic bronze medallist Matt Whorwood competed in their final race of the Games in the men’s S6 50m Freestyle. Both athletes never hit their best and Kindred finished in a time of 33.04 to take ninth place overall and Whorwood finished in 34.94 to qualify 11th fastest overall.

Dave Ellis was competing in his final race of the Games in the men’s S13 50m Freestyle and although he put in a good performance he finished in 14th place overall with a time of 26.46.

-ENDS-

For further details contact British Swimming Media Officer Gemma Field on 01509 632262, 07917 726431 or email gemma.field@swimming.org

British Swimming is the National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo and Open Water in Great Britain.  It is responsible internationally for the high performance representation of the sport. The members of British Swimming are the three Home Countries national governing bodies of England (Amateur Swimming Association), Scotland (Scottish Amateur Swimming Association) and Wales (Welsh Amateur Swimming Association). British Swimming seeks to enable its athletes to achieve gold medal success at the Olympics, Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

ParalympicsGB swimmers continued their success in the pool this evening with another medal haul of two gold, one silver and two bronze medals on the penultimate day of the swimming programme.

Youngest ParalympicsGB athlete Eleanor Simmonds won her second gold medal of the 2008 Paralympic Games as she followed in the footsteps of 2004 Double Paralympic Champion Nyree Lewis.

Simmonds had a battle on her hands for the gold with Mirjam de Koning-Peper (the Netherlands) swimming close to her best in the heat of the women’s S6 400m Freestyle. The world record holder had a slow start but brought it back over the first 200m as de Koning-Peper and Simmonds fought for the lead. 

It was only in the last 100m that Simmonds took the lead and she began to look dominant as she pushed hard for her gold medal.

Simmonds touched home in a time of 5:41.34 to take seven seconds off the world record and secure her second gold medal of the competition.

“I wanted to break that record but I didn’t think I would break it by seven seconds,” Simmonds said. “I knew I could do what I could do, but I didn’t know I do it that fast. I didn’t really expect the first gold medal and to win this one is great.

“I just went out there to do a PB and swim my hardest. I gave it my all and I was really tired getting out of the pool. I just wanted to know I had done my best and I am ecstatic with my second gold medal.”

Silver went to de Koning-Peper in a time of 5:43.76 and bronze was won by Maria Goetze in 5:49.70.

Fellow ParalympicsGB swimmers Nyree Lewis and Mhairi Love finished in sixth and seventh place respectively. Lewis finished in a time of 6:10.82 and Love touched in 6:15.31.

Ten-time Paralympic gold medallist Dave Roberts went into the final of the men’s S7 50m Freestyle looking to add to his collection of medals and equal Tanni Grey-Thompson’s record of 11 Paralympic title at consecutive games.

The race turned out to be one of the closest that Roberts has won with fellow ParalympicsGB swimmer Matt Walker all the way. Roberts won by almost a second as he touched in 27.95 to win his 11th gold medal.

“This is the speech I love to give,” Roberts said. “I have achieved something very few people have and I have equalled the record of Tanni Grey-Thomson and that is unbelievable. I can go into tomorrow and without any pressure and just enjoy myself.”

Walker touched in a time of 28.60 to win his silver medal and bronze went to American Lantz Lamback in a time of 28.81. Jonathan Fox finished in a time of 31.53 and finished in eighth place overall.

Matt Whorwood won bronze in a closely fought battle in the men’s S6 400m Freestyle and after an excellent finish secured his second medal of the competition.

Whorwood found himself turning in fifth place at the 250m mark and increased his speed as he fought to win a medal. He finished in third place overall with a time of 5:20.45 to take his second medal.

“My plan was to beat the Irish athlete and although I didn't do that I can't be disappinted because it was a great race and I have two bronzes at my first paralympics,” Whorwood said.

Gold went to Anders Olsson in a new world record time of 4:48.31 and silver was won by Darragh McDonald in 5:09.75.

Louise Watkin won her fourth medal of the Games with a strong performance in the women’s S9 50m Freestyle.

Watkin has excelled at her first Paralympic Games and signed off her programme with another excellent performance this evening.

She finished in 29.80 to take her third bronze medal and commenting on her swim she said: “That was not expected. I messed up my finish slightly which annoyed me. But I have just got my fourth medal out of five races and I am extremely happy with that.”

The gold medal was won by Natalie Du Toit in a time of 29.20 and silver went to Irina Grazhdanova in 29.33.

Stephanie Millward signed off her Paralympic campaign with a good swim and finished in joint sixth place in a time of 30.45.

Jenny Coughlin finished the final of the women’s S13 100m Backstroke in sixth place with a time of 1:14.67 after a good swim.

Heather Frederiksen touched home in a time of 32.59 to finish in seventh place in the women’s S8 50m Freestyle.

Graham Edmunds went into the final of the men’s S10 50m Freestyle looking to add to his gold medal that he won in the 34 point relay but although he had a strong swim he finished in eighth place in 25.11.

-ENDS-

For further details contact British Swimming Media Officer Gemma Field on 01509 632262, 07917 726431 or email gemma.field@swimming.org

British Swimming is the National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo and Open Water in Great Britain.  It is responsible internationally for the high performance representation of the sport. The members of British Swimming are the three Home Countries national governing bodies of England (Amateur Swimming Association), Scotland (Scottish Amateur Swimming Association) and Wales (Welsh Amateur Swimming Association). British Swimming seeks to enable its athletes to achieve gold medal success at the Olympics, Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.