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Great Britain's Bethany Firth first burst onto the international scene representing Ireland at London 2012. In December 2013, she made the decision to switch nationalities and has proved herself to be a tough competitor in the women's S14.
At London 2012, she swam with a shoulder injury and in 2014 competed with a broken toe.
At the 2015 British Para-Swimming International Meet in Glasgow, Great Britain, Firth set new world records in the 200m individual medley, 100m backstroke and 100m breaststroke.
Firth was firmly on the road to become one of the success stories of the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Great Britain, until she slipped getting out of the pool in training just weeks before.
The fall resulted in fractured wrist which put Firth out of action.
However, Firth was back in 2016 in time for the 2016 IPC Swimming European Open Championships in Funchal, Portugal, where she won her first European titles ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. In addition, Firth broke world records in the 100m and 200m freestyle.
Firth left Rio with a golden trio and added a world record in the 100m backstroke for good measure. She was Great Britain's most decorated athlete from the Paralympics.
Photo Gallery
Biography
Impairment information
Further personal information
Sport specific information
General interest
A fractured wrist meant she was unable to compete at the 2015 World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. (swimswam.com, 02 Jul 2015)
She competed with a broken toe at the 2014 British International Meeting in Manchester, England. She had sustained the injury when she fell getting out of the pool earlier in the competition. (bbc.co.uk, 27 Jun 2014)
She competed at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London despite suffering from a shoulder injury. (bbc.co.uk, 31 Aug 2012)
She was appointed Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire [MBE] in the 2017 New Year's Honours list. (paralympic.org, 31 Dec 2016)
She was named Young Player of the Year at the 2012 Belfast Telegraph Sport Awards in Northern Ireland. (ardsswimmingclub.co.uk, 17 Jan 2013)
She was named Swimmer of the Meet at the 2011 British Disability Championships. (belfasttelegraph.co.uk, 08 Mar 2011)
In December 2013 she made the decision to compete for Great Britain instead of Ireland. She had represented Ireland at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. "This is about Bethany wanting to be with people who she gets on with, who understand her and Team GB have other S14 swimmers who she is friendly with," her mother Lindsey said. (belfasttelegraph.co.uk, 19 Dec 2013)
Results
| Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 100 m Backstroke S14 | Final Round | 2012-08-31 | 1 | |
| Women's 100 m Backstroke S14 | Heat 2 | 2012-08-31 | 2 | |
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB14 | Heat 1 | 2012-09-06 | 9999 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 200 m Freestyle S14 | Final 1 | 2013-08-12 | 2 | |
| Women's 200 m Freestyle S14 | Heat 2 | 2013-08-12 | 2 | |
| Women's 100 m Backstroke S14 | Heat 2 | 2013-08-14 | 2 | |
| Women's 100 m Backstroke S14 | Final 1 | 2013-08-14 | 2 | |
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB14 | Heat 1 | 2013-08-16 | 3 | |
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB14 | Final 1 | 2013-08-16 | 2 |
| Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 100 m Backstroke S14 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-08 | 1 | |
| Women's 100 m Backstroke S14 | Final Round | 2016-09-08 | 1 | |
| Women's 200 m Freestyle S14 | Final Round | 2016-09-11 | 1 | |
| Women's 200 m Freestyle S14 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-11 | 1 | |
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB14 | Heat 1 | 2016-09-14 | 1 | |
| Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB14 | Final Round | 2016-09-14 | 2 | |
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM14 | Final Round | 2016-09-17 | 1 | |
| Women's 200 m Individual Medley SM14 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-17 | 1 |
