Cote and Reyes Win Phillips 66 Performance of the Meet Awards as Disability Champs End

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By Phillip Whitten

PHOENIX, June 24. The oppressive desert heat relented a bit on the final night of the USA Swimming National Disability Championships, as temperatures dipped below 100 degrees. But the red-hot action continued within the confines of the Phoenix Swim Club's 50-meter tank, as seven more world marks were blown away, bringing the three-day total to 33.

Canada's Kirby Cote, who has very limited sight, and Mexico's Juan Reyes, who had both arms and one leg amputatated after coming down with gangrene, were named the Phillips 66 "Performance of the Meet" winners. Cote, 17, and Reyes, 19, each notched four world marks.

In tonight's action, the USA's Jarrett Perry set a world mark in the men's 400m IM for swimmers in the SM-8 category. Perry's time was 5:42.08.

In the 50m breaststroke, Curtis Lovejoy lowered the record in the SB-1 category – the category with the highest degree of disability – to 1:37.70, but finished second. Mexico's Cristopher Tronco won the event with a world best time of 1:14.50, but his time is not officially a record until his disability status is confirmed.

In the SB-2 category, Mexico's Arnulfo Castorena clocked in at 58.89.

Great Britain's Chris Pugh took the 100m fly for men in the S-14 category with a quick 1:03.23.

Canada's Kirby Cote was one of two vision-impaired women to set records in the 200m breast. Cote twice lowered her own mark in the SB-13 division, clocking 2:54.08 in prelims, then lowering her time to 2:52.41 in the finals.

Australia's Alicia Aberly took the SB-14 mark down to 2:54.16

The record-breaking came to an end in the meet's final event, when Great Britain's David Roberts stopped the clock at 1:03.26 in the 100m free. Roberts was swimming in the S-6 division.

The meet was widely praised as the best USA Swimming National Disability Championship ever, with special praise reserved for Phoenix Swim Club coach Pierre La Fontaine; the friendly PSC volunteers under the leadership of Bob Beardsley; and the ubiquitous, helpful swimmers on the Phoenix Swim Club who worked nonstop to make the meet a success.

The meet received extensive coverage in the local media, including the Arizona Republic, four local television stations and nine local raadio stations.

(Swiminfo is indebted to USA Swimming's Dave Thomas, who compiled the list of records set.)(/i>)

Complete results of prelims and finals under RESULTS

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