Six swimming world records fall in Berlin

This is the 15th time the event is being held in Berlin, as more than 600 athletes from 30 countries are competing in 40 different events through to Sunday (27 April).

Six world records were smashed on Thursday (24 April) at the opening day of the 28th International Deutsche Meisterschaft swimming competition in Berlin, Germany.

Norway’s Ingrid Thunem broke two of those world records in the S1 class for athletes with the most severe impairment, clocking in at 55.11 in the women’s 50m freestyle and 2:32.46 in the 100m backstroke.

American Jessica Long, a 17-time Paralympic medallist, bettered her own 100m butterfly S8 world record from last year’s World Championships by lowering her time by nearly two-tenths of a second to 1:00.60.

Following the first day of competition, Long posted on her Facebook page: "So insanely happy with my first day of racing in Berlin. Gold medal and world record in the 100 fly!"

Paralympic champion Oliver Hynd of Great Britain set a new world record of 2:08.71 in the men’s 200m freestyle S8 and Hungary’s Reka Kezdi clocked a world record in the women’s 100m butterfly S5 with a 1:51.96.

For the host nation, Potsdam native Torben Schmidtke – a Paralympic and world silver medallist – set the new benchmark time for the rest of the world in the men’s 200m breaststroke SB6, touching the wall in 3:01.20.

All world records are pending IPC Swimming ratification.

This is the 15th time the event is being held in Berlin, as more than 600 athletes from 30 countries are competing in 40 different events through to Sunday (27 April).