Monday, May 25, 2009

11-time Paralympic winner sets new world record in 400m freestyle

From BBC News:

Eleven-time Paralympic champion David Roberts (pictured) was in shock after he set a new world record in the 400m freestyle at the International Open in Manchester.

The Welshman shattered his own record by two seconds at the Aquatics Centre.

The 28-year-old, who swims in the S7 category, touched in four minutes 50.35 seconds to earn 1021 points.

"I don't know who is more surprised, me or my coach," said Roberts. "At no point did it feel that quick... if I had known I could have gone quicker."

The swimmers are classified according to the severity of their disability, one being the most severe up to 10 being the least, while classes 11-13 indicate visual impairment.

Double Paralympic champion Ellie Simmonds (S6) won the women's equivalent of Roberts' event, ahead of fellow Briton and four-time Beijing medallist Heather Frederiksen (S8) in 5mins 34.82 seconds, claiming 1060 points.

Frederiksen also produced an impressive swim in the 50m freestyle to touch in 31.74 and earn 978 points.

Stephanie Millward (S9) won the women's 100m backstroke with Australia's Jeremy Tidy taking the men's equivalent ahead of British pair Jonathan Fox and Sean Fraser.

Curtis Lovejoy (SB1), of the United States, broke his own world record in the 50m breaststroke when his time of one minute 29.94 seconds earned him 1124 points.

Brazil's Andre Estevez (S10) won the men's 50m freestyle, his time of 23.75 earning him 982 points, with Great Britain's Matt Walker second.