S’pore finish Para World Series Australia with three golds, four bronzes
The final day of the Para Swimming World Series Australia on Sunday saw a strong push from the Singaporean team, with Paralympian Yip Pin Xiu clinching her second gold medal of the meet while 23-year-old Danielle Moi captured her first series medal.
The 31-year-old Yip, who was born with muscular dystrophy, won the women’s 50m backstroke in 1 min 3.70sec with 810 points, finishing 197 points ahead of the silver medallist, He Shenggao of China and New Zealander Erin Knox (557 points).
“Considering we are at the start of the season and I just came back from an injury in November, I am rather pleased with the times clocked,” said Yip, who has won five Paralympic golds.
Moi, who has intellectual impairment, was third in the women’s 200m freestyle in 2:33.32 with 505 points, behind Australian Jade Lucy (668 points) and Chan Yui Lam (620) of Hong Kong.
This takes Singapore’s final tally at the three-day competition to three golds and four bronzes at the Melbourne Sports Centres.
Paralympian Toh Wei Soong, who has transverse myelitis which is a chronic condition that restricts the use of his legs, had earlier bagged two bronze medals in the men’s 50m butterfly and 50m free.
Siblings Sophie and Colin Soon, both visually impaired, also made a splash with a gold and bronze medal respectively. Sophie topped the 50m breaststroke, while her younger brother took bronze in the 50m breaststroke.
Toh, 24, said: “Coming off a great training camp in Gold Coast, there are many things I am in the process of refining right now... I am confident that with races further into the season, I would be able to integrate what I’ve learnt from this training camp and get better from here.”
Yip added: “All of these meets that are happening in the next one and a half years will be in preparation for the Paris Paralympics... We will continue to work really hard and improve ourselves in training, to get to our goals in Paris 2024.”
The Para Swimming World Series Australia is the opening leg of the competition that travels to nine countries in 2023, including Singapore from April 29 to May 1. The Singapore team will skip the March 9-12 stop in Italy but will compete in the Great Britain leg a week later.
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