Paralympics, Swimming: Jessica Long Wins Fourth Gold, Sixth Medal, Records Keep Falling

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BEIJING, China, September 12. ANOTHER day in the books at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, and another handful of world records went into the ledgers as the Paralympians have been going to town at the meet.

Sam Hynd of Great Britain added gold for his second medal of the meet when he clocked a world record in the men's 400 free – S8. Hynd touched in 4:26.25 to break his preliminary record time of 4:26.46. Peter Leek of Australia, meanwhile, earned his fifth medal overall (2G, 2S, 1B) with a second-place 4:31.16, while Wang Jiachao of China took third in 4:39.48.

After setting the world record with a 4:47.45 during prelims, Jessica Long of the U.S. grabbed her sixth individual medal, and fourth gold, of the meet with a 4:50.17 in the women's 400 free – S8. Heather Frederiksen of Great Britain earned her fourth individual medal with a second-place 4:54.49, while Jacqueline Freney of Australia touched third in 4:57.21 for her second bronze.

The swimmer so good he had to be named twice, Enhamed Enhamed of Spain set a Paralympics record with a time of 57.64 in the men's 100 free – S11. The win gave Enhamed his third individual gold of the meet. Yang Bozun of China won his third silver of the meet with a time of 59.25, while Poland's Grzegorz Polkowski placed third in 1:00.49.

Xie Qing of China followed with a world record in the women's 100 free – S11 when she hit the wall in 1:08.96. The time cleared her preliminary global standard of 1:10.36 set in the morning. Cecilia Camellini of Italy took second in 1:09.65, while Daniela Schulte of Germany touched third in 1:11.08.

Maksym Veraksa of Ukraine lowered his world record in the men's 100 free – S12 with a time of 51.93. The swim eclipsed his 52.89 set in 2006 and gave Veraksa his third gold medal, world record performance of the meet. Compatriot Sergii Klippert added a silver to his previous bronze in the 200 IM with a time of 53.81. Russia's Alexander Nevolin-Svetov finished third in 54.58 for his second individual medal.

Oxana Savchenko of Russia won the women's 100 free – S12 in a world record 59.47. The readout bettered the 1:00.01 set by Zhu Hongyan way back in 1998. Anna Efimenko of Russia took second in 1:01.24, while Joanna Mendak of Poland placed third in 1:01.57.

Ricardo Ten of Spain followed by dropping his men's 100 breast – SB4 world record to 1:36.61. That performance dropped Ten's previous time of 1:37.24 set in 2002. Daniel Dias of Brazil earned his sixth individual medal with a time of 1:40.39 for silver, while Moises Fuentes of Colombia took third in 1:42.04.

Bela Hlavackova of Czech Republic added a second gold medal, third overall, with a time of 1:55.55 in the women's 100 breast – SB4. Israel's Inbal Pezaro took second in 1:57.75 for her third silver, while Spain's Maria Teresa Perales finished third in 2:01.25 for her fourth medal.

Mexico's Pedro Rangel touched first in the men's 100 breast – SB5 with a time of 1:34.69, while Germany's Thomas Grimm (1:35.41) and South Africa's Tadhg Slattery (1:36.11) rounded out the podium.

Kirsten Bruhn of Germany won her first gold medal of the meet, fourth overall, with a time of 1:36.92 in the women's 100 breast – SB5. France's Rachel Lardiere took second in 1:52.34, while Gitta Raczko of Hungary finished third in 1:54.49.

Russia's Alexey Fomenkov posted a Paralympics record of 1:27.22 in the men's 100 breast – SB6. Gareth Duke of Great Britain, the current world record holder with a 1:27.04 from 2006, took silver in 1:28.20. Teammate Matt Whorwood completed the top three in 1:29.96.

Elizabeth Johnson of Great Britain captured gold in the women's 100 breast – SB6 in 1:41.87, while Sarah Bowen of Australia finished second in 1:42.39. Deborah Gruen of the U.S. placed third in 1:44.00.

Oleksii Fedyna of Ukraine crushed his preliminary world record of 2:16.32 with a time of 2:13.84 in finals of the men's 200 IM – SM13. The win gave him his second medal, first of the gold variety, of the meet. Greece's Charalampos Taiganidis won his fourth individual medal with a second-place 2:16.95, while Dmytro Aleksyeyev of Ukraine placed third in 2:17.13.

Canada swept the podium in the women's 200 IM – SM13. Chelsey Gotell broke teammate Kirby Cote's world record with a time of 2:28.15. Cote held the previous standard with a 2:29.16 set in 2002. The win was Gotell's first of the meet, and fourth individual medal overall. Cote finished second in 2:28.65 for her second silver of the meet, while reigning Swimming World Disabled Female Swimmer of the Year Valeria Grand Maison took third in 2:29.29. The medal was Grand Maison's fourth of the meet.

Jesus Collado of Spain scored an upset over Swimming World Disabled Male Swimmer of the Year Matthew Cowdrey of Australia in the men's 400 free – S9. Collado touched out Cowdrey, 4:17.02 to 4:17.28, as both demolished the previous world record of 4:22.60 set by James Crisp back in 2006. Tamas Sors of Hungary took third in 4:20.26.

Natalie Du Toit of South Africa closed the curtains on the night with her fourth gold medal, and third world record, of the meet when she touched in 4:23.81 in the women's 400 free – S9. That swim clipped her former record of 4:23.96 set in 2005. Stephanie Dixon of Canada took second in 4:39.73, while Ellie Cole of Australia placed third in 4:44.60.

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