Youngsters shine at Glasgow 2015

“It couldn’t have gone better today,”

Six world records were set in the finals of the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships at Glasgow’s Tollcross International Swimming, Great Britain, on Tuesday (14 July), including two which fell to swimmers aged under 18.

Thirteen year-old Australian Tiffany Kane (1:34.95) made a sensational international debut with a world record in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB6, pushing the British pair of Charlotte Henshaw (1:36.94) and Eleanor Simmonds (1:39.99) into silver and bronze.

“It couldn’t have gone better today,” Kane said. “This morning I thought I could get close to it [the world record] from swimming a bit slower than I knew I could, and that I had a bit of a chance.

“Rio is going to be good. Hopefully I get in. It’ll be really good and fun and hopefully a different journey for me”

Continuing the theme of emerging young swimmers, 16-year-old Colombian Carlos Serrano Zerate (1:16.68) lowered the world record in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB7. In doing so, he took the world title from Australian Blake Cochrane (1:17.45) and the Netherlands’ Simon Boer (1:18.83).

The USA’s Rebecca Meyers (2:24.60), 20, retained her women’s 200m individual medley SM13 world title, lowering her own world record by two seconds.

“I could feel myself building on every 50 and I brought it home on the last 50m,” Meyers said.

Russia’s Darya Stukalova (2:24.86) was a close second and shaved nearly three seconds off the three year old SM12 world record for the event. Ukraine’s Anna Stetsenko (2:28.71) set a new SM13 European record for bronze.

Flying Dutchwoman Lisette Teunissen (1:37.18) broke the world record on her way to gold in the women’s 100m freestyle S3, beating Ukraine’s Olga Sviderska (1:39.69) into silver. Kazakhstan’s Zulfiya Gabidullina (1:46.11) claimed bronze.

“It was a little bit harder than this morning, I had to work harder,” Teunissen said. “I’m the world champion right now, I’m the best so I’ll let the other girls try and beat me.”

Mexico’s Nely Mirranda Herrera (40.08) was hungry for the world record in the women’s 50m freestyle S4, taking down the time for the second occasion in 2015. Italy’s Arjola Trimi (41.69) and Kazakhstan’s Zulfiya Gabidullina (48.18) completed the top three.

The USA’s Jessica Long (1:32.46) stormed to her 21st world title with victory in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB7. The Netherlands’ Lisa den Braber (1:34.20) sealed silver whilst Ukraine’s Oksana Kruhl (1:38.95) was third.

US Navy veteran Bradley Snyder (4:37.13) secured his second world title in as many races with a Championships record swim in the men’s 400m freestyle S11. Brazil’s Mattheus Sousa (4:45.45) took silver ahead of the USA’s Tharon Drake (4:58.40) in bronze.

In the men’s 200m individual medley, Canada’s Paralympic champion Benoit Huot was sensationally beaten by Ukraine’s Denys Dubrov for the first time since 2002. Dubrov (2:11.94) overtook Huot (2:12.50) with a strong breaststroke, and while Huot pulled it back in the last leg it was not enough to stop the Ukrainian taking gold with a new European record.

Ukraine also collected bronze courtesy of Dmytro Vanzenko (2:14.00).

Australian Ellie Cole (1:02.78) won her second gold in the women’s 100m freestyle S9. The USA’s Michelle Konkoly (1:03.25) picked up silver and Spain’s Nuria Soto Marques (1:04.46) completed the podium.

Belarusian world and Paralympic champion Ihar Boki (2:04.06) won his second gold in a row in the men’s 200m individual medley SM13. Ukraine’s Iaraslav Denysenko (2:08.58) took silver whilst Azerbaijani Dzmitry Salei (2:11.33) collected bronze.

New Zealand’s Paralympic champion Sophie Pascoe (2:26.51) bounced back from Monday’s loss to Canadian Aurelie Rivard (2:30.35) to win gold in the women’s 200m individual medley SM10 ahead of the youngster. Pascoe also lowered the Championships record for the second time in one day. China’s Zhang Meng (2:32.02) set a new Asian record to claim bronze.

Ukraine won a further four gold medals on Tuesday.

World and Paralympic champion Yevheniy Bohodayko (1:21.92) managed to convert his qualifying performance into gold in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB6. Colombia’s Nelson Crispin (1:22.83) brought down the Americas record in the event for the second time in one day. Germany’s Torben Schmidtke (1:23.13) was third.

Hennadii Boiko (2:29.82) retained his world title in the men’s 100m backstroke S1. His teammate Anton Kol (2:36.11) and Greek Christos Tampaxis (2:54.45) completed the podium.

Serhii Palarmarchuk (2:08.31) picked up another gold for his country in the men’s 100m backstroke S2. Russian Dmitrii Kokarev (2:10.12) and Poland’s Jacek Czech (2:10.77) rounded-off the top three.

Iryna Sotska (2:17.13) won gold in the women’s 100m backstroke S2 to complete Ukraine’s haul, ahead of Russian Alexandra Agafonova (2:28.43) and Norway’s Ingrid Thumen (2:37.52).

Russia’s Paralympic champion Oleysa Vladykina (1:17.47), retained her women’s 100m breaststroke SB8 world title with a new Championships record.

Great Britain’s Claire Cashmore (1:21.15) just got the edge over Canada’s bronze medallist Katrina Roxon (1:21.97), who set an Americas record.

Russian Iurii Luchkin (1:32.01) led out the podium in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB5. Luchkin also brought down Swedish silver medallist Karl Forsman’s (1:33.40) Championships record from the heats. Russian Andrei Granichka (1:34.33) was third.

Alexander Skaliukh (56.97) continued the gold rush for Russia with victory in the men’s 100m freestyle S9. Italy’s Federico Morlacchi (57.29) just edged Australian Brendan Hall (57.51).

Skaliukh’s compatriot, world and Paralympic champion Andrei Kalina (1:07.38), was victorious in the men’s’ 100m breaststroke SB8, beating Spain’s Oscar Salguero Galisteo (1:10.82). Andreas Onea (1:12.34) got Austria onto the medals table with a bronze.

German Paralympic champion Daniela Schulte (5:20.46) successfully defended her world title in the women’s 400m freestyle S11, ahead of New Zealand’s Mary Fisher (5:24.81). China’s Giuzhi Li (5:43.98) finished with bronze.

Germany’s Verena Schott (1:51.43) won gold in the women’s 100m breaststroke SB5 ahead of Vietnam’s Thi Bich Nhu Trinh (1:57.43) and Spain’s Julia Farre Castello (1:57.83).

At the end of day two, Russia lead the medals table with 19 medals including seven gold. They are followed by Ukraine who have 17 medals overall, including the same number of golds as Russia. The USA have made a strong start with six golds for third place.

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The 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships, which run until 19 July, will feature around 580 athletes from nearly 70 countries and will be one of the biggest qualification opportunities for Rio 2016.

Tickets are still available and all seven days of action will be shown live at Glasgow2015.com alongside live results between 13-19 July.

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