Ellie’s world record double in golden start for Dolphins in Glasgow

Paralympic golden girl Ellie Cole was told she may never swim again following double shoulder surgery, but tonight (14 July) in Glasgow, Scotland, the 23-year-old defied all the odds.

Cole claimed two world records on her way to a stunning gold medal swim on the opening night of the 2015 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships.

After a record-breaking swim of 1:08.89 in the heat in the women’s 100m backstroke S9, Cole said she took to the blocks in the final feeling confident in her preparation.

And the result was gold in another world record time of 1:08.67 – 0.22 faster than her heat swim.

“Getting on the block tonight I was thinking about the key areas of improvement from my heat swim, which resulted in a well-executed final and a second world record, so I am really happy with that,” Cole said.

“I’ve been working with my new coach, Nathan Doyle, for a year now and we fine-tuned a really good race preparation heading into this meet.

“I felt really confident, and having the Australian swim team cheering you on in the stands is really uplifting.”

Cole will race her 2012 Paralympic gold medal event, the women’s 100m freestyle S9, tomorrow – along with the women’s 50m freestyle S9.

Earlier, dual Paralympian Brenden Hall produced a strong finish to claim the first gold medal for the meet in the men’s 100m backstroke S9, clocking 1:05.01.

Hall said he felt fast in the water and was happy with his first swim in Glasgow.

“Backstroke isn’t my main event, so I’m really happy to come out with a gold medal. I felt fast in the water, and I’m looking forward to a good week ahead,” Hall said.

The men’s 100m freestyle S7 final saw Matt Levy win the silver in 1:02.51, just behind a Championship record swim from China’s Shiyun Pan (1:01.53).

Maddison Elliott did not disappoint in the women’s 100m butterfly S8 final, winning her first medal for the meet in an Oceanian record time of 1:14.20 to claim the bronze behind American Jessica Long (1:09.79) and Ukraine’s Kateryna Istomina (1:10.05).

In other events, Grant Patterson finished fifth in the men’s 200m freestyle S3 final in 3:55.93, breaking the Oceanian record and his personal best time.

Prue Watt (28.84) and Teigan Van Roosmalen (29.44) finished fifth and seventh respectively in the women’s 50m freestyle S13 final.

Swimming at his first World Championships, Guy Harrison-Murray finished seventh in the men’s 50m freestyle S10 final with a time of 25.34.

Reagan Wickens (5:33.57) also placed seventh in the men’s 400m freestyle S6 final.

The Australian medal tally stands at two gold, one silver and one bronze.

The 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships run from 13-19 July at Tollcross International Swimming Centre.

By Swimming Australia
Posted: 14/07/2015