Pascoe and Fisher Add to Their Collection
Sophie Pascoe is half way there, three medals in three days and she’s not done yet.
The 19-year old blitzed the field in her 100m butterfly heat this morning with a world record time of 1:04.97 and returned tonight to be more dominant that ever, claiming gold in 1:04.43 and breaking her own world record.
Pascoe now needs just one more gold medal to equal the three golds and a silver she secured in Beijing four years ago, and has three more events up her sleeve.
If there was such a thing as a blip in a world record and gold medal winning performance it would have been the final touch, where it seemed an age before Pascoe stopped the clock. “I guess I just didn’t time it right and I guess it’s those little things, but obviously I got it just in time and got in there,” relays a relieved Pascoe. “Tonight was about racing the clock, and that’s what it is all the time when it comes down to racing, it’s about racing the time, you want to go out there and do a PB [personal best] that’s the goal, it’s not about the gold, it’s not about the silver or bronze it’s about going out there and doing a PB and if it gets you on that podium, that’s what you want."
Pascoe will have two days to freshen up before the back half of her competition, starting with the 100 m backstroke on Tuesday. This is another strong event for the leg amputee, giving her shoulders a chance to bring home another gold. “I would like to do a PB in that and see what I can show the crowd, it’s all about what we do on the day.”
Wellington's Mary Fisher continues to surprise in the pool, following last nights silver in the 100 metre freestyle the 19-year old added bronze to her collection in the 50 metre freestyle.
Cecilia Camellini won Fishers race in 30:94 and was the first woman to go under the 31 second mark, making Fisher's 31:67 personal best a real triumph in her first Paralympic Games.“We’ve been working on improving my stroke and times and it’s definitely paid off getting a PB and being right up there with world record holders and everyone that’s breaking world records," said an elated Fisher.
Tonights other finalist Cameron Leslie also swam a personal best. Competing in an event he describes as a warm up to his main event [the 150 metre individual medley where he’s the defending champion and world record holder] he went a further two seconds better than his heat this morning finishing the 200 m freestyle in 2:54.27.
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CYCLING
Fiona Southorn said she’s getting better with age, and today at the Velodrome she proved that again, setting a personal best in the women’s C5 500 m time trial.
“I never expected to be in the money but I just really, really wanted to crack that 42 [second mark].” Southorn was the 9th rider to go out of 14, and her 41.76 finish slid her into the silver medal spot, before the following rider knocked her down a peg and then eventually off the dais to finish up at 7th overall.
The personal best will give her team some extra hope for the team sprint tomorrow, where the 42-year old will become the first Kiwi women to ever ride in the team sprint. “I’m sure the boys will be very interested in hearing my time today, because I’m doing the first lap tomorrow,” said Southorn.
Australia is the only other country to feature a woman in their team.
Southorn will team up with Nathan Smith and Chris Ross in the event, but their current ranking, which is outside the top ten, doesn’t have them pegged for a medal.
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YACHTING
The New Zealand Paralympic yachting team got underway today. The SKUD 18 pair of Tim Dempsey and Jan Apel secured two 9th placings on day 1 and Paul Francis in the 2.4 boat had a 14th and an 11th placing.
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Holly Johnson was still competing in the Javelin at the time of this release.