Meyers continues great form at World Series

“I’ve been trying to break 32 [seconds] for a couple of years now. I was really, really ecstatic about that. It’s been a long time since I came close to that. We’re in a hard training block and I wasn’t expecting it.”

US swimmers showed great form at the World Para Swimming World Series in Sheffield, Great Britain, on Friday (28 April) with Rebecca Meyers and Letticia Martinez impressing on the second day of action.

Full results are available.

Meyers, the Paralympic and world champion in the SM13, claimed her second World Series win of the season in the women’s 200m individual medley with 960 points.

Meyer’s Uzbek rival Shokhsanamkhon Toshpulatova (SM13, 955), the Rio 2016 Paralympic bronze medallist, was second. Great Britain’s Maisie Summers-Newton (SM6, 910) completed the top three.

“I feel great, it was a great race, I had great competition so I’m excited about where I stand for this season already,” Meyers said.

Visually impaired swimmers dominated the women’s 50m freestyle with a second win of the meet for Great Britain’s world and Paralympic champion Hannah Russell (S12, 931). The 20-year-old touched in at 27.54 seconds, just .01 away from her Paralympic title-winning time.

“That swim was a great swim. To pretty much match the time I swam in Rio in the summer, I couldn’t ask for much better,” Russell said.

Martinez (S11, 924) broke her second Americas record of the year in the event to take second place for the USA.

The 21-year-old lowered her own mark, set earlier in April, to 31.54 seconds.

“It was awesome. I love the 50,” Martinez said. “I’ve been doing better at it since the beginning of this year. It’s really fun to go fast. I love sprinting, my body knows what to do I don’t have to think about it, you just go.

“I’ve been trying to break 32 [seconds] for a couple of years now. I was really, really ecstatic about that. It’s been a long time since I came close to that. We’re in a hard training block and I wasn’t expecting it.”

Toshpulatova (S13, 923) was third, her second podium of the evening.

Uzbekistan’s Dmitry Horlin (SM12, 888) led the men’s 200m individual medley final. Great Britain’s SM8 European, world and Paralympic title holder Ollie Hynd was just one point behind with 887. His compatriot Kahoru Harazawa (SM10, 837) was third with a new British record of 2:14.59.

Paralympic title holder Matthew Wylie (S9, 871) handed the hosts another win in the men’s 50m freestyle. Rio 2016 bronze medallist Muzaffar Tursunkhujaev (S13, 859) secured another podium for Uzbekistan in second.

Wylie’s teammate and fellow S9 swimmer Lewis White (842) completed the top three.

Denmark’s SM4 Paralympic bronze medallist Jonas Larsen claimed 769 points in the men’s 150m individual medley.

All heats and finals will be shown live at British Swimming's website.

Tickets are also available.

Competition runs until Sunday (30 April). Heats begin at 10:30am (CET) and finals at 6:00pm.

The World Series takes in some of the biggest Para swimming competitions around the world ahead of the 2017 World Para Swimming Championships in Mexico City, from 30 September-6 October.

Editions in Copenhagen, Denmark and Sao Paulo, Brazil, have already taken place. After Sheffield, Indianapolis, USA; and Berlin, Germany, will host events in June and July respectively.

Records are subject to ratification by World Para Swimming.