Ukrainians Olga Sviderska and Dmytro Vynohradets both collected their fifth gold medals of the competition powering the Ukraine to an astronomical lead in the medal standings at the IPC Swimming World Championships. The Ukraine have now won 74 medals in total (31 gold, 18 silver and 25 bronze), Russia, their closest competitor has 47 (18 gold, 18 silver and 18 bronze).
In the first heat of the morning Sviderska started the day setting a world record in the women’s 150 IM SM3 posting a time of 3:25.07. Her time bettered the previous record of 3:29.36 set in 2008 by Patricia Valle Benitez of Mexico.
In the finals Sviderska was not able to match her time, but won the event in a time of 3:26.95.
Vynohradets also collected his fifth win of the competition in the 150 IM S3 winning the event in a time of 3:01.06.
There were three other world records set on the sixth night of competition in Montreal. Russian Denis Tarasov went head to head with the 2012 Paralympic champion and world record holder Yinan Wang in the men’s 100 freestyle S8. Tarasov was up to the challenge winning the event in a time of 56.48, not only beating Wang by 31 one-hundredths of a second, but he also broke Wang’s 2008 world record of 56.58.
Tarasov’s Russian teammate Anna Krivshina matched his accomplishment three events later winning the women’s 100 backstroke S13 in a world record time of 1:07.29. Krivshina broke the record of 1:09.09 set by Canadian Chelsey Gotell in 2008.
Maja Reichard of Sweden won the women’s 100 breaststroke SB11 in a new world record time of 1:27.37. Reichard broke her own world record of 1:27.98 which she set at the Paralympic Games last summer. She also collected Sweden’s first gold of the competition.
Possibly the biggest shocker of the competition so far saw American Jessica Long defeated by 14 year old Maddison Elliott of Australia. Elliott won the event in a time of 1:05.85, 43 one-hundredths of a second ahead of Long, “It’s actually really good to become a world champion for the first time!” said Elliot.
“I’m happy with the time, it’s a new personal best. All I wanted to do is a PB and try to keep up with Jessica [Long] and I knew at the 50m mark I had a chance to stay in front of her. So all I did was just try really hard and I’m happy!”
Full results can be found here