Commonwealth Games, Day Six Para Events: Lakeisha Patterson is Golden in 100 Freestyle (S9)
Across various events and distances, Lakeisha Patterson has been a steady presence the Para swimming world for a decade. And based on her performance on the final night of the Commonwealth Games, it’s obvious the Australian star is still a force. Racing the 100-meter freestyle in the S9 classification, Patterson easily collected the gold medal at the Tollcross Iternational Swimming Centre, clocking a time of 1:02.99.
An eight time Paralympic medalist between the Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Paris Games, Patterson was in a tight battle with countrywoman Emily Beecroft during the first half of Wednesday’s final. At the turn, Patterson held a .02 edge on Beecroft, but that lead expanded over the closing 50 meters, with Patterson ultimately winning by more than a half second. Beecroft took the silver medal in 1:03.56, the bronze going to Scotland’s Toni Shaw in 1:04.71.
Patterson first mader her international mark at the 2015 World Championships, which took place in the same city as these Commonwealth Games – Glasgow. It’s a full-circle moment of sorts for Patterson, who owns eight career medals from the World Champs. In Paralympic action, she holds three gols medals, four silver medals and a bronze.
Men’s 50 Freestyle (S7)
South Africa’s Christian Sadie followed a Games record in the prelims with another Games standard in the final, as he won the 50 freestyle in the S7 classification with a swim of 28.06. That outing was more than a second faster than the 29.36 of Singapore’s Wei Soong Toh, the silver medalist. The bronze medal was earned by England’s Bruce Dee in 31.33.
Sadie has now medaled in the event at three consecutive Commonwealth Games, following a silver medal in 2018 and a bronze medal in 2022.