Paralympics, Swimming: Penultimate Night Features Plenty More World Records

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BEIJING, China, September 14. THE next-to-last night of swimming at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics featured another run on the world-record books.

Enhamed Enhamed of Spain shot down one of the longest standing records on the books with a time of 25.82 in the men's 50 free – S11. That swim cleared the 1987 standard of 25.96 set by John Morgan of the U.S. in New York. The win gave Enhamed his fourth individual gold and second world record of the meet. Junichi Kawai finished second in 27.16, while Alexander Chekurov of Russia took third in 27.26.

After setting the world record during prelims with a 31.21, Maria Poiani Panigati of Italy cruised in finals with a winning time of 31.39. Teammate Cecilia Camellini placed second in 31.95, while Fabiana Sugimori of Brazil wrapped up third in 32.45.

Maksym Veraksa of Ukraine touched in 23.43 to break his world record in the men's 50 free – S12. The win surpassed his 23.99 set back in 2006, and gave him his fourth individual gold and fifth medal overall. Alexander Nevolin-Svetov of Russia finished second in 24.73 for his third medal of the meet, while Sergii Klippert took third in 24.98 for medal number four.

Oxana Savchenko of Russia collected her third gold of the meet with a world-record time of 27.07. That lowered her preliminary standard of 27.92 set earlier in the day. Anna Efimenko of Russia touched second in 27.82, while Deborah Font of Spain placed third in 28.23.

Cameron Leslie of New Zealand then turned in a world record of 2:33.57 to win the men's 150 IM – SM4. Vicente Javier Torres of Spain took second in 2:40.91, while Takayuki Suzuki of Japan finished third in 2:41.11.

Two world records tumbled in the women's 150 IM – SM4 finale. Karina Lauridsen of Denmark set the SM4 standard with a winning 2:47.84. Patricia Valle of Mexico, meanwhile, claimed her second world record of the meet with a 3:29.36 for third overall while swimming as an SM3 entrant. Marayke Jonkers of Australia took second in 3:28.88.

Anders Olsson of Sweden notched his second gold and world record of the meet with a time of 4:48.31 in the men's 400 free – S6. The time lowered Olsson's global standard of 4:48.57 set in April. Ireland's Darragh McDonald took second in 5:09.75, while Matt Whorwood of Great Britain won his second bronze of the meet in 5:20.45.

Eleanor Simmonds of Great Britain lowered her world record in the women's 400 free – S6. She touched in 5:41.34 to crush her 5:48.26 from March. Netherlands' Mirjam de Koning-Peper took second in 5:43.76, while Maria Goetze of Germany finished third in 5:49.70.

Charalampos Taiganidis of Greece became the first man in the S13 division to clear a minute in the 100 back. He clocked a time of 59.85 to eclipse his former record of 1:00.91 set in June. The win gave Taiganidis his second gold and fifth individual medal overall. Oleksii Fedyna (1:02.93) and Dmytro Aleksyeyev (1:03.40) rounded out the podium.

Chelsey Gotell clipped Canadian teammate, and defending Swimming World Disabled Female Swimmer of the Year Valerie Grand Maison, in the women's 100 back – S13 with a winning time of 1:09.09 to also nab the world record. The win was Gotell's second thus far, and gave her a fifth individual medal. Grand Maison, meanwhile, touched in 1:10.42 for her fifth medal overall. Efimenko won her second medal of the day with a third-place 1:10.99.

Great Britain's David Roberts claimed his third gold of the meet with a time of 27.95 in the men's 50 free – S7. The swim cleared his Paralympics record of 28.63 set during prelims. Compatriot Matt Walker took silver in 28.60, while Lantz Lamback of the U.S. earned bronze in 28.81.

Cortney Jordan of the U.S. touched out teammate Erin Popovich, 33.84 to 33.92, as both cleared Popovich's preliminary Paralympic record of 34.22. The win was Jordan's first of the meet, while also giving her four individual medals overall. Popovich, meanwhile, continued her remarkable meet with her sixth medal overall – including four golds. Kirsten Bruhn, the world-record holder with a 33.53 from 2006, took third in 34.50 for her fifth medal of the meet.

Wang Xiaofu of China lowered his world record in the men's 50 free – S8 with a time of 26.45. He cleared his 26.83 set back in 2006, earning his fourth medal and second gold of the meet. Peter Leek of Australia nearly clipped the previous record with a second-place 26.89, while Konstantin Lisenkov of Russia finished third in 27.18.

World-record holder Cecilie Drabsch Norland of Norway missed her 2004 standard of 31.51, but still grabbed gold in 32.09 in the women's 50 free – S8. Amanda Everlove of the U.S. took silver in 32.20, while Australia's Jacqueline Freney snagged third in 32.37.

Reigning Swimming World Disabled Male Swimmer of the Year Matthew Cowdrey of Australia downed his world record in the men's 50 free – S9 with a time of 25.34. The performance eclipsed his 25.50 from March and gave him his sixth individual medal of the meet. Cowdrey also won his fourth gold of the Paralympics. Guo Zhi (25.51) and Xiong Xiaoming (25.60) of China took second and third, respectively.

Natalie Du Toit of South Africa rolled to her fifth gold of the meet, the only color she's won thus far, with a Paralympics record of 29.20 in the women's 50 free – S9. She just missed her world record of 29.04 set in 2006. Irina Grazhdanova of Russia took second in 29.33, while Louise Watkin of Great Britain placed third in 29.80.

Brazil swept the top two spots in the men's 50 free – S10. Andre Brasil dropped his preliminary world record of 24.55 to 23.61, while teammate Phelipe Rodrigues placed second in 24.64. The win gave Brasil his third of the meet, and fourth individual medal overall. Benoit Huot of Canada took third in 24.65.

Anne Polinario of Canada finished the night with a winning time of 28.51 in the women's 50 free – S10. Katarzyna Pawlik of Poland took second in 28.92, while Katrina Lewis placed third in 29.13.

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