Victoria Arlen Leads 4 IPC World Record Charge to Kick Off Paralympic Trials

Update: Jessica Long Actually broke THREE World Records, as her 50m split of the 100 breaststroke took the global standard down as well.

A new star emerged on night 1 of the 2012 US Paralympic Trials in Bismarck, North Dakota.

That happened when Victoria Arlen broke the IPC World Record in the S6 Women’s 400 freestyle in 5:24.46. That takes down the old record of Britain’s Eleanor Simmonds, one of the world’s great Paralympic superstars, that had stood at 5:25.20 from last year’s World Championships.

Arlen is not new to swimming – she was once a star in New England at the youth level, but in 2006 she mysteriously became permanently paralyzed from the waist down. By 2009, this led to her being in a total vegetative state, with doctors having no idea if she was going to even live. Finally, after three years, a diagnosis of spinal inflammation was discovered and treated – though not reversing the paralysis. Just over two years later she’s amazingly back on top of the swimming world.

It’s simply incredible that in such a short time, she has been able to go from bed-ridden to a champion of sport – after so many swimming comebacks have come-up short this year, this is one of the great comeback successes of 2012.

Arlen would also win the SB5 100 breaststroke in 1:49.29. That ranks her second in the world this year, behind only World Record holder Kirsten Bruhn from Germany.

Arlen also has a promising career as an actress – expect her combination of athleticism and personality to make her a star headed toward London.

In the S7 class of the same distance, the reigning star of the US team Mallory Weggemann won in 5:20.02. That ranks her 2nd in the world this year, but still 19-seconds behind the World Leader (and 15 seconds slower than her best time, done in 2010). But Weggemann has moved herself more toward the sprints in the last 18 months, so she wasn’t likely counting on this race as her Olympic invitation anyway.

Completing the run of the stars in the event, Jessica Long won the S8 division in a World Record of her own. Her 4:44.17 broke her own mark of 4:44.92 set in 2010.

One of the big stories of this year’s meet is that each Olympic Team has been cut down to 14 (as compared to 20 available spots in 2008); that will greatly increase the competition for a trip to London, and these three are likely to have three spots sealed up already.

Meanwhile, in the men’s S11  400 free, Bradley Snyder made his mark with a 4:35.62, which puts him easily at the top of the World Rankings this year. Snyder, a former Lieutenant in the Navy, was blinded by a buried bomb in Afghanistan. He’s brand new to this level of competition, and bettered his self-stated goal in the event by 13 seconds. That’s a fitting result on flag day.

In the men’s SB1 event, World Record holder Curtis Lovejoy wasn’t close to his best, but still put up easily his fastest time of 2012 (he’s the only SB1 swimmer in the world who’s swum this race this year).

In the women’s 50 breaststroke, veteran Aimee Bruder won the SB3 division in 1:11.69. She generally focuses her efforts on the freestyles (she was a bronze medalist in 2008 in the 100 free), but this was a nice changeup swim for her – she will be seeking her 6th Paralympic berth this year. Long and Weggemann are both World Record holders in this event, but neither swam it in the Olympic year.

That’s because they were focusing on the 100 breaststroke instead. Weggemann won the 100 breaststroke in 1:40.74, beating out runner-up Reilly Boyt in 1:51.18. That does put Boyt as 7th in the World this year, and Weggemann at the top of the pile.

Long would follow that up with her second World Record of the day, this one crushed. She’s been flirting with the SB7 100 breaststroker World Record all year, and when she decided it was time to break through, she did so in a big way. Her 1:28.53 broke her old mark of 1:31.00 from 2010.

Though she didn’t swim the individual 50 doesn’t mean that she didn’t attack the record. Her 50m split of that 100 was 42.07, which also breaks her own World Record in the race.

One of the biggest stars of the Men’s National Team, Rudy Garcia-Tolson, finished up the first night with a Continental Record for the Americas. The defending Olympic Champion won the men’s SB7 World Record with a 1:23.81. That cleared his 1:24.01 that took gold in Beijing. That time leaves him 3rd in the world in 2012. Evan Austin from the Concord Swim Team, dropped 5 seconds to post a 1:24.96, a 6th-ranked time. Garcia-Tolson didn’t have nearly the speed of Austin, but he’s got a lot more experience than the 19-year old and came back from a three-second deficit to take the win on the back-half.

Keep an eye out for Austin as the meet wares on; he’s one of the rising stars on the men’s side of the competition with double-digit American Records. He’s had an outstanding meet thus far, though this 100 breaststroke is his best shot at consideration for the Paralympic Team.

Full, Live Meet Results available here.

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Mary Gase
12 years ago

Larry
My 9 year old daughter was diagnosised with Transverse Myeletisis in 2006 at the age of 4. In September she started swimming. A new confidence has emerged! I can’t wait to share all of the news coverage of Victoria with my daughter. Thank you so much for raising such a role model!
Mary Gase

Larry Arlen
12 years ago

We are so proud of our daughter! My wife Jacqueline is the one who kept us all going when we thought we had lost her on a few occasions. This is truly an inspiration to all!!! Never give up!!

Wolfie4525
12 years ago

Mary Lynn-

I loved your inspirational message! The Paralympic gmes differs from the special olympics greatly and many Paralympic athletes are very sensitive to this. The Paralympic games is the pinnacle of competitive sports for people with disabilities. The Special Olympics is geared towards athletes will cognitive and intelligence disabilities. Many Paralympic athletes have very high IQ’s and would not qualify. The Paralympics is an elite competition and Olympic games for athletes with physical disabilities.

Mary Lynn Renshaw
12 years ago

Victoria is a miracle from God. He has wonderful plans for this Princess. She is an outstanding person, in her academics, athletics, and religious beliefs. She rebounded from a vegetative state to a vibrant young lady, with a fierce competitiveness that is astounding. I was blessed to be able to attend her first meet last year in Santa Clara and I could not believe how positive and determined this girl is when she competes. Some people are not able to come back from such an illness, but Victoria embraced it all, and God Blessed her in a way she never could imagine. She told me she wants to become famous so that she can help people with disabilities. She is… Read more »

Mary Lynn Renshaw
Reply to  Mary Lynn Renshaw
12 years ago

My apologies go out to everyone, especially our PARALYMPIC’S. I am a newbie at this and my first ever event was November, 2011, in Santa Clara, CA. I have a great appreciation for all of you athletes. You are amazing individuals and may God Bless You All.

Love,
Mary Lynn

Wolfie4525
12 years ago

So proud of the Para’s who swam their best! It’s great to see how much the sport has progressed and how fair the team is chosen– I think it would be great to post how the athletes are classified — most don’t understand how varied disabled athletes can be in one class. Sometimes in a class 6 , you could have a wheelie-a little person and someone with a tbi all in the same division.

Its also wild that other countries can protest your classification because they believe you have too much function!

If you applied that to phelps- I am sure he would be protested for having too much function!

newswim
12 years ago

Great coverage…..perhaps at one point someone could explain how the Olympic team is selected. It’s not obvious to me….winning and even setting a world record is no guarantee of a spot on the team, correct?

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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