British para swimming veteran Ellie Simmonds swam the 2019’s fastest S6 400 free in Glasgow at the World Para Swimming World Series Friday.
Simmonds, 24, went 5:19.27, just about half a second off her own British record of 5:18.69. With the swim, she punched her ticket to the 2019 Para Swimming World Championships in London this summer.
“I wanted it so badly in my heart – I want to go to the World Champs and I wanted to do it for everyone who supports me,” Simmonds said in a press release. “To have the World Champs in my home pool, where I train each and every day and to hopefully get picked for the team now and to represent Great Britain at another World Championships, I’m so excited.”
The five-time Paralympic champion took a break from swimming in 2017 and considered retirement after Rio.
“It feels amazing. To go 5:19, nearly a personal best after having a year off from the sport, when my aim for this meet was just to qualify for London – I want to cry! I’m so emotional and so happy,” she said.
Canadian S10 Paralympic champ Aurelie Rivard took second place in 4:33.96 and Poland’s Oliwia Jablonska (S10) was third in 4:36.40.
Note: swims completed by swimmers in multi-class events are scored based on how close the swimmer’s time is to their classification’s world record.
Get More SwimSwam with SwimSwam Magazine
SwimSwam Magazines are big, coming in at nearly a pound per issue. We provide you four massive print issues designed to sit on your coffee table like a piece of artwork. With your yearly subscription, you receive over 600 of pages of swimming’s highest quality print content, and another 5,330+ pages of digital issues, going back to the first issue produced.
I have been following the IPC swim meet in Glasgow – how do swimmers progress to Finals in their various categories?