Swimming: Singapore clinch two golds, one bronze on first day of Para Swimming World Series Australia
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Sophie Soon won gold in the women’s 50m breaststroke multi-class event at the Citi Para Swimming World Series 2023 Melbourne.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE DISABILITY SPORTS COUNCIL
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SINGAPORE – Singapore’s swimmers got off to a flying start at the Para Swimming World Series Australia, with two golds and a bronze at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on Friday.
Yip Pin Xiu, who was born with muscular dystrophy, won the women’s 100m backstroke multi-class event in 2min 20.98sec with 733 points.
Canadian Aurelie Rivard took silver on 720 points, while Australian Jasmine Greenwood finished third with 712 points.
In multi-class para swimming events, the winner is not always the swimmer who touches the wall first, but the one who posts the time closest to the world record for their impairment classification.
Siblings Sophie and Colin Soon, both of whom are visually impaired, made a strong impression as well.
Sophie won the women’s 50m breaststroke multi-class event in 40.17sec. Her younger brother Colin picked up a bronze in the men’s 50m breaststroke multi-class event in 34.34sec.
Compatriot Wong Zhi Wei, who is also visually impaired, finished fourth in a national SB13 record of 34.72sec.
The Para Swimming World Series Australia runs until Sunday. It is the first leg of the series, which will travel to nine countries in 2023, including Singapore from April 29 to May 1.
