Records continue to tumble in pool

"My class, S10, is the borderline between the Olympics and Paralympics. Every athlete is realising the potential and importance of this sport. I'm very happy to be part of this and I have friends, and rivals, that push me to improve more and more."

As the Paralympic swimming competition reached its seventh day yet more world and Paralympic records were broken.

China’s Yang Yang, a double-gold medallist already at these games, broke the solitary world record of the morning heats as he stormed the men’s 50m backstroke S2 in an astounding 1:01:32.

Whilst Yevheniy Bohodayko continued his domination of the pool in his first games by setting another Paralympic record in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB6.

And in the women’s alternative, Great Britain’s Charlotte Henshaw and Elizabeth Johnson sparked elation in the home crowd as they claimed a British qualifying one-two, with Henshaw also setting a new Paralympic record time of 1:39:64.

The other Paralympic record scalped in the morning session was in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB5, with Kirsten Bruhn showing no remorse as she finished 14 seconds ahead of her closest competitor to better her own record in 1:35:03.

Speaking about the margin of victory, Bruhn said: “It doesn't matter. I do my own race. I just try to do a better time. In freestyle, yes I would like it (closer competition), but not for breaststroke.”

The German is confident of retaining her title from Beijing this evening, but knows it won’t be as straight forward as the heats suggest.

"I'm confident,” she said. “It seems like an easy race, but there is never an easy race at the Paralympics.

“Maybe the other athletes are going at a low level in the heats and in the final they will just explode."

But perhaps the morning’s best entertainment came in the men’s 50m freestyle S9 as Comaros swimmer Hassani Djae Ahamada false started before, in true Paralympic spirit, swimming a length of the pool anyway to a comedic standing ovation from the crowd. Once the race restarted, Matthew Cowdrey qualified fastest in 25:63.

The swimming action started with the Hynd brothers – Sam and Ollie – going toe-to-toe for a second time in London in the men’s 200m individual medley SM8.

Ollie once again came out on top, but despite both qualifying, neither were quicker than Maurice Deelen of the Netherlands who finished fastest in 1:10:92.

Jessica Long looks set to collect her fourth gold medal of the games after qualifying emphatically in the women’s 200m individual medley SM8.

But arguably the most exciting race of the morning session was in the men’s 400m freestyle S10 with only a second separating five swimmers in the second heat. Jaryd Silverman qualified fastest followed by Benoit Huot with medal-favourite Andre Brasil left in a surprising sixth qualifying place.

Brasil stated that his qualifying position was just testament to how this sport has developed, and believes anybody can win come tonight’s final.

He said: "My class, S10, is the borderline between the Olympics and Paralympics. Every athlete is realising the potential and importance of this sport. I'm very happy to be part of this and I have friends, and rivals, that push me to improve more and more.

"Every day is a little bit harder than the previous one, so the athlete with the best strategy will be the best in the end."

Alexsandr Nevolin-Svetov got his attempted retention of his men’s 100m backstroke SB12 title off to a brilliant start as he stormed past USA’s Tucker Dupree to qualify fastest in 1:01:07

Whilst elsewhere in the pool, there were good qualifying swims for Susan Beth Scott in the women’s 400m freestyle S10, Lim Woo-Geun in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB5, Hannah Russell in the women’s 100m backstroke S12 and Louise Watkin in the women’s 50m freestyle.