Lucy, Soares deliver upsets at World Intellectual Impairment Sport Swimming Championships
A series of upsets highlighted the 2017 International Federation for Intellectual Impairment Sport (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) Swimming Championships on Friday (1 December), as defending champions toppled to up-and-coming teenage swimmers.
Australia’s Jade Lucy collected her latest gold medal in the women’s 200m freestyle S14.
Touching in at 2:22.91, the 19-year-old beat Mexico’s defending champion Beatriz Resendiz De Garcia (2:24.46) who finished with bronze.
In doing so Lucy improved on her third place finish from the 2015 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games, which also acted as the World Championships.
The USA’s Leslie Cichoki (2:24.29) secured silver.
Australia secured a second gold in the women’s 100m backstroke S14 courtesy of Jaime-Lee Getson.
Getson (1:15.95) eased to victory over Cichoki (1:17.03), who improved on her bronze from 2015. Japan’s Kasumi Fukui (1:18.22) took third.
Seventeen-year-old Ana Karolina Soares (33.02) delivered another shock in an incredibly close women’s 50m butterfly S14. The Brazilian overcame Debora Borges Carneiro (33.93) and Chinese Taipei’s former champion Jo-in Tu (34.10) to take gold.
In the men’s 200m freestyle S14 Japan’s Shunya Murakami (2:06.15) claimed the win. France’s Nathan Maillet (2:11.49) grabbed the silver. Macau’s Yu Chia Chen (2:13.76) completed the top three.
Maillet (1:11.52) triumphed in the men’s 100m backstroke S14. His compatriot Simon Blaise (1:13.89) swam to second. South Africa’s Aaron Putz (1:14.11) was third.
Brazilian Paralympian Felipe Caltran Vila Real (27.82) topped the podium in the men’s 50m butterfly S14. In what was a close race with silver medallist teammate Gustavo De Oliveira Nunes (28.24), Vila Real just had the edge. Andre Luiz Bento Silva Filho (28.89) completed an all-Brazilian top three.
Brazil went on to set a new World Intellectual Impairment Sport world record and claim gold in the mixed 4x100m freestyle S14 relay.
Their time of 4:13.12 sets the standard for the rest of the world as it is the first time the event has been contested. Soares went out first, followed by Carneiro, Branca and Vila Real.
Australia grabbed silver thanks to Getson, Patrick Donachie, Lucy and Benjamin Morrison (4:28.15). South Africa’s Paulse Ethan, Aaron Putz, Michaela Kretzen and Cornelia Fowler (4:37.86) were third.
Soares, Debora and Beatriz Carneiro and Stephanie Ariodante put in a second impressive effort to take the win in the women’s 4x50m medley S14 relay. Their time of 2:17.65 was also a new World Intellectual Impairment Sport world record.
Japan’s Kasumi Fakui, Junko Yamane, Eri Kojima and Remi Watanabe (2:28.23) sealed silver. Australia’s India Biesse-Fitton, Bronte Marshall, Nikesha Sophia Harding and Casey Stevens (2:30.97) were third.
Brazil’s final medal of the evening came in the men’s 4x50m medley S14 relay.
Guttemberg De Souza Ferreira, Luis Henrique Sieiro, Nunes and Andre Luiz Bento Silva Filho raced to a 2:01.78 finish.
There was a close battle for silver as France just edged Japan by 0.06 seconds.
Blaise, Jacky Deforge and Maxime Dutter overcame an early Japanese lead before Maillet saw off a challenge from Yuki Yamanaka over the final 50m. France finished in 2:03.47.
Japan, led off by Taiga Hayashida followed by Yasuhiro Tanaka, Haruki Takayanagi and Yamanaka, claimed bronze in 2:03.53.
Down syndrome
In the women’s 200m freestyle Spain’s Camino Martinez De La Riva (2:59.21) was the victor.
Mexico’s Dunia Camacho Marenco (3:02.52) touched the wall for second. South Africa’s Melisa Van Bosch (3:19.03) was third.
Great Britain’s Billy Birchmore (2:36.53) just pipped Mexico’s Jesus Garcia Gonzalez (2:36.76) to gold in the men’s 200m freestyle.
“I did what I had to do,” Birchmore said.
Colombia’s Jaider Stiwen Hernandez (2:42.34) rounded-off the top three.
It was Brazil’s Caique Aimore (1:19.08) who topped podium in the men’s 100m backstroke. Hernandez (1:24.43) made it into the top three again with silver. Birchmore did the same with bronze (1:25.03).
Aimore (32.88) doubled his gold medal tally for the day in the men’s 50m butterfly. France’s Axel Belig (34.56) claimed silver ahead of Mexico’s Steven Martinez Arellano (35.74) with bronze.
In the women’s equivalent Martinez De La Riva (42.80) added to her third place from the 200m freestyle with the gold. A dramatic finish saw her edge France’s Cleo Renou (42.84) by just 0.04 seconds. Kelly Da Silva Antunes (50.51) completed the podium.
In the women’s 100m backstroke Mexico’s Mariana Escamilla Brana (1:41.70) was the victor. Her teammate Daniela Michelle De Lorea (1:47.11) followed her onto the podium. Estonia’s Maria Rein (1:50.96) rounded-off the top three.
All records are subject to ratification.
Full results are available at www.inas.org/events/results/results-2017-inas-swimming-championships
The 2017 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Swimming Championships run until 3 December.
Live coverage, behind the scenes content, videos and pictures are available at World Intellectual Impairment Sport Facebook and Twitter.
Trial eligibility groups are being run in Down syndrome and autism.
