Tokyo Paralympics 2020 - Britain's Maisie Summers-Newton ends Ellie Simmonds' nine-year reign as Paralympic champion
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Updated 26/08/2021 at 08:57 GMT
The 19-year-old set a new world record with a brilliant second half of the race to succeed Simmonds as champion in the event. Her British team-mate had won the title at both London 2012 and Rio 2016, but Simmonds could only finish fifth. Summers-Newton follows Tully Kearney in winning swimming gold on day two.
Maisie Summers-Newton has succeeded Ellie Simmonds as SM6 200m individual medley champion
Image credit: Getty Images
Maisie Summers-Newton ended the nine-year reign of British team-mate Elllie Simmonds by becoming the new Paralympic champion in the SM6 200m individual medley.
The 19-year-old, who was inspired to take up swimming by Simmonds' exploits, set a new world record with a brilliant second half of the race.
Sitting fourth after the butterfly and backstroke, Summers-Newton surged up the field during the breaststroke to take the lead on the turn, before holding on in the freestyle to finish in 2:56:68 ahead of Ukraine's Yelyzaveta Mereshko and German Verena Schott.
Simmonds, who won gold in the event at London 2012 and Rio 2016, finished fifth ahead of fellow Brit Grace Harvey. Summers-Newton continued a brilliant morning for ParalympicsGB in the pool, following Tully Kearney's gold in the S5 100m freestyle.
"It’s absolutely insane, I just knew how badly I wanted it," the teenager told Channel 4.
On the breaststroke leg, I obviously knew that’s my strongest leg and where I could pick it up a bit. When I saw how close they all were to me, I just thought you’ve just got to go for it.
"It’s incredible, I can’t believe it. It was just, get to the wall first, I just wanted it so badly. That’s my main race and I’m so glad to have got it over and done with."
Simmonds had nothing but praise for her team-mate: "I’m so buzzing for Maisie. I’m quite happy with my time to be fair, it’s faster than I’ve gone this year.
"I’m just so happy for Maisie, it’s amazing. It’s not just competitive here, it’s competitive at home as well. Maisie’s smashing it now, she’s leading the way."
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