Lakeisha Patterson Breaks S8 World Record In 400 Free In Rio

2016 RIO PARALYMPIC GAMES

  • Wednesday, September 7 – Sunday, September 18, 2016
  • Swimming: Thursday, September 8 – Saturday, September 17, 2016
  • Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • Prelims 9:30 AM / Finals 5:30 PM (local time)
  • IPC World Records
  • Live stream links: NBC / IPC
  • Schedule/Results

Australia’s Lakeisha Patterson beat American Jessica Long for the Rio Paralympic gold medal while breaking Long’s world record in the 400 free.

Patterson went 4:40.33 to shave a tenth of a second off the world record and pick up her first Paralympic medal – a gold in the S8 400 free.

The old record was a 4:40.44, set last spring by Long at the at the Parapan American Games in the spring of 2015. Long was second behind Patterson in Rio, but was well off her best, going 4:47.82.

Patterson has been a fast-rising competitor over the past three years. She broke out internationally at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, rising to the bronze medal spot in the 100 free.

She nabbed five total medals at the 2015 IPC World Championships in Scotland last summer, including a win in the 4×100 free relay. She was only the bronze medal winner in this 400 free in 2015, finishing behind Long and fellow Australian Maddison Elliott.

Patterson showed remarkable improvement in this race since 2015 – she was just 5:04.17 in winning bronze a year ago.

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Mark
7 years ago

If anyone wants a copy of the investigation into LP then e mail me at [email protected] and I will send them a copy very interesting reading with all the proof need that they know she is cheating lol

LMA
Reply to  Mark
7 years ago

I have viewed copies of the investigation into LP that are being shared around. It is true that not only is Lakeisha Patterson cheating but the IPC have attempted to cover it all up. They allowed her to compete in Rio and continue to compete post her most recent classification in Indianapolis. I also have reason to believe that ‘laughingotter’ a poster in this thread is an Australian Paralympian now heavily involved in classification on the sport science side who had a long term involvement with Lakeisha Patterson. In my opinion, this is far more scandalous than the 2000 Spanish Basketball Team, that pales into insignificance in comparison.

Swim Mom
8 years ago

Anyone have any theories on how S13 UZB swimmer drops 8 seconds from prelims to finals to set new world record and win gold in the 100 Breast? Is there an ongoing strategy by IM’ers to “fake it/hold back” in prelims so they don’t get people talking until it’s too late? This gold medalist just comes onto the para scene in the last 3 months and is now crushing world records? Puhlleeeez, show me the eye report and the classification records for this swimmer, way to hard to believe.

Sick of her lies
8 years ago

“Lucky” Patterson is a cheat, the sooner the truth comes out the better! Shes 17 and she knows exactly what shes doing, clearly not fast enough to swim at the comm games or the Olympics against able body, so she needs to fake disabilities!! You should be ashamed of yourself Lucky!

Lumpy
8 years ago

Let’s not forget miss millward the GB swimmer she went slower , came out in an electric scooter , why never seen it before oh and help on the block , she pick and chooses when she is disabled and to be put down to an 8 a complete joke ! ( I M ) at its best

Lumpy
8 years ago

They are cheating pure and simple !

G.I.N.A
8 years ago

This is what I admire about HRC .Hil is clearly in some sort of incapacitated state still after suffering a serious fall . Cracked skull , cone glasses , wild undied hair & just obnoxious behaviour so unlike our dear sweet lady of our memories . But unlike these Paras our Hil is going for the top job in the world . She cannot go up stairs unaided , cannot speak without coughing fits ,cannot recall much at alL YET here she is .

Be like our Hill & rise up Paras . Don’t let your limitations limit you .Do you think Hill would be downgrading her capacities? NO WAY JOSE .

Jacqueline Freney
8 years ago

Has anyone realised that the time swam by the Spanish competitor to win Gold in the S9 classification was 2 seconds slower in a time of 4.42. than the time swam by Australia’s Lakeisha Patterson on night one of the Games in a world record time and Gold medal swim of 4.40.33? So this makes the S8 female classification quicker than the women’s S9 world rankings. These are the facts and this is the outcome. Just putting it out there for discussion!

Disheartened
Reply to  Jacqueline Freney
8 years ago

Certainly had noticed that.
The other thing that was very noticeable in that 400 free swim was the complete lack of neuromuscular fatigue exhibited by Patterson.
As you would be only too aware, exertion like that in someone with CP leads to increased spasticity in affected limbs and increased drag as the race goes on.
Patterson held her form throughout the race with pretty even splits, free arm and leg action and controlled breathing throughout.
The clenched hand is deliberate and voluntary and in no way looks anything like real CP.
And don’t forget, on 2 occasions she managed to convince classifiers that she was S7- must have been quite the Oscar worthy performance.

LaughingOtter
Reply to  Jacqueline Freney
8 years ago

Jacqueline,
Ollie Hynd smashed his own world record in the men’s S8 400m to take gold. Fact.
LP’s new and Long’s old S8 400m record were also faster the S9 Spanish swimmer’s time. Fact.
Brenden Hall swam 3 seconds slower than his WR to take the 400m S9 gold. Fact.
You don’t need to break a WR to win gold. Fact!

The things you are saying aren’t relevant, but rather slanderous, and your ongoing personal agenda against LP has no place in public.
You are simply embarrassing yourself. Fact.

Jacqueline Freney
Reply to  LaughingOtter
8 years ago

Hey LaughingOtter. This is the first time I have commented on a public forum, in the past four years. This was my observation that I believe was overlooked. What… just because I’m a Paralympic gold medalist I can not comment or have an opinion otherwise whatever I say is labelled slanderous? Everyone has a right to freedom of speech and discuss an issue. I’m not here for an argument or have a personal agenda as you say.

LaughingOtter
Reply to  Jacqueline Freney
8 years ago

Jacqueline,

I just thought that being a Paralympian with a swag of gold medals, world records, 2014 Young Australian of the Year, and all the other accolades including an OAM, why would you stoop to lend your name to a muck raking exercise like this.
If you really had a problem and thought you could achieve something positive, surely there would be more opportunities elsewhere for someone such as yourself to take and to lend your name.

Does the classification system need fixing? Hell yeah.
Do the decisions made by classifiers need to be totally transparent and reviewable? Hell yeah.
Will it be fixed by a witch hunt on a forum? Hell no.

LP has her name… Read more »

Disheartened
Reply to  LaughingOtter
8 years ago

And just where exactly do you suggest she takes her concerns?
To the IPC? They listen to no one and have no interest in IM.
To her NGB? Clearly they are complicit in the scam.
To mainstream media? – all to frightened of not being politically correct in suggesting a “disabled” person might be dishonest.
And that is the crux of the matter, Laughingotter, there is just nowhere to go.
But these forums are definitely raising awareness of the issues and that can never be a bad thing.

Cranky Marsupial
Reply to  LaughingOtter
8 years ago

What an exceedingly strange response to Ms Freney’s simple statement of a fact.
It would appear, Laughingotter, that it is not that Ms Freney has an agenda with “LP”, but rather that you have some agenda with Ms Freney. Your response to her factual statement is a personal attack on her character, is clearly not warranted, and is unnecessarily threatening and aggressive. One is left wondering what would prompt such an exaggerated reaction.
Frankly your inane and incessant references to mythical creatures and an American TV program in a vein attempt to explain LPs cheating are tiresome at best.
Clearly you are not a person of science or medicine.
If you were you would be enlightening… Read more »

YKA
Reply to  Cranky Marsupial
8 years ago

Very well said. Jacqueline Freney is as entitled as anyone else to state facts on a public forum. Bizarre behaviour, at best, by laughingotter. My guess s/he has some involvement in classification and is attempting to defract attention from those Patterson/Formosa videos .. well good luck with that … there is not a unicorn in sight ‘mate’.

Cranky Marsupial
Reply to  YKA
8 years ago

She is perfectly entitled to contribute.
We have a term in the English language for that type of behaviour, Laughingotter.
It is called bullying.
I believe we have all just been treated to a sample of the very behaviour that it has been suggested on this and other forums that the Australians are subjected to if they dare to ask questions or have an opinion.

Disheartened
Reply to  LaughingOtter
8 years ago

And how is any of that in any way relevant to Jacqueline’s comment?
You are missing the point altogether.
Her physical presentation just does not match the alleged impairment.
Ollie Hynd has clear signs of a neuromuscular disorder, Jess Long and Brendan Hall are missing body parts and Lakeisha Patterson just has no sign of CP or PD. Different story though in her classification swims. And makes a complete mockery of the level playing field theory.

swimmingly
Reply to  LaughingOtter
8 years ago

It is relevant and factual. The S8 swimmer was faster than the S9 swimmers. You cannot deny that. The S9 class lacked depth and the S8 class, well.

What you seem to dislike is that people are actually thinking about what they have just watched and are asking questions. What is wrong with that? Why should we be expected to take on face value that someone suffering with Parkinsons Disease,Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy AND epilepsy swam 400 free in 4:40 with perfect technique, strength, balance and control throughout?

In my opinion, the more that people question and speak up the better the sport will be in the long run. There maybe a few ruffled feathers along the way but that’s… Read more »

Swim Mom
8 years ago

Do any viewers/fans think it’s odd that in both Mens and Womens S13 100 Fly, Uzbekistan took 5 of the top 8 spots? In Womens, UZB took 2nd, 3rd, and 4th??? Men took 2nd and 3rd. Seems pretty odd that one small country has a monopoly on S13 swimming. How can that be???

TAA
Reply to  Swim Mom
8 years ago

You can visit Uzbekistan and probably find them all driving themselves to swim practice. The thing you have to rely on is there must be some legit S13s competing in their country and if a group of swimmers get on the para-national team by cheating then hopefully the legit swimmers would call them out on it or notify the IPC. That is what happened with the S10 guy for Ukraine, Dubrov, one of his fellow countrymen publicly called BS on him being disabled and now its common knowledge but sadly the IPC does nothing and that is what is getting people upset.

Swim Mom
Reply to  TAA
8 years ago

It’s unrealistic to think they have 8 or so paraswimmers from UZB and all but one of them are visually impaired? And, all are top swimmers in the s13 category? Really, none of them are fair swimmers, they’re all awesome (medal winning) swimmers? There’s absolutely something wrong with this scenario. How can this go unnoticed? I’m not sure any are legit, so I don’t think there will be anyone that comes forward to dime out any cheating. IM is rampant in many classes.

G.I.N.A
Reply to  Swim Mom
8 years ago

It is not a small country at all .Its massive .

Swim Mom
Reply to  G.I.N.A
8 years ago

Population wise, it’s not massive.

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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