Double figures for Kiwi Para-Swimming team in Rio

The New Zealand Para-Swimming team moved into double figures for medals won on day six of action at Rio.

Waikato teenager Nikita Howarth added a Paralympics gold medal with a superb effort in the 200m individual medley SM7 after claiming two IPC world championship titles in the same discipline.

Meanwhile fittingly, Sophie Pascoe brought up medal No 10 for the Para-Swimmers with a silver medal in her final swim at the meet in the 100m freestyle S10. It brought her tally to five medals at Rio with three gold medals and two silver.

Howarth, who was the youngest in the team in London at just 13, was dominant in the 200m individual medley, winning in 2:57.29, a new personal best.

She finished nearly five seconds clear of Tess Routliffe (CAN) with a further two seconds back to Cortney Jordan (USA) in third.

The young Kiwi had to settle for the bronze medal in the 50 butterfly yesterday, the event where she won the world championship title in Glasgow last year. Today was more special where she converted her world championship success into a gold medal in Rio, and in emphatic style.

“It feels a lot different to come first in a race compared to coming third, but I do quite like both feelings – bronze and gold, I can’t ask for more than that!" Said Howarth.

"It feels amazing to win medals in Rio, compared to London where I was still young. I have been going from strength-to-strength in training so when I come into a big competition I can smash it, so I am really happy.

"When I see how well everyone else on the team is doing, it just buzzes me up and gets me going, because it’s so exciting seeing other New Zealand team members getting gold – I’m like wow, that’s so cool, that’s where I am from.”

Howarth impressed in her heat, clocking 2:58.82 which was six seconds faster than her nearest rival, Routliffe and shows her progress from London where she won the bronze medal.

Meanwhile Pascoe, bidding for a fourth gold medal in the 100m freestyle, was pipped by rival Aurelie Rivard (CAN).

While Pascoe was the reigning Paralympic world champion in the event, Rivard had established the world record in Toronto last year.

They went out together with the Kiwi closing to the shoulder with her work off the wall before the Canadian edged clear to win in a Paralympic record of 59.31s, half a second clear of the remarkable Kiwi.

It brought to an end a truly remarkable campaign for Pascoe, who is now New Zealand’s most successful athlete in Paralympic history. Today was her 15^th medal, one more than the late Eve Rimmer, and her nine gold medals is also the most by any Paralympian.

“As you see, it’s a good fight, the old 100 free, and I think it’s really exciting that we’ve got an amazing rivalry and friendship between us girls out there," Pascoe said.

"Aurelie was the better person on the day. I gave it everything, I’ve left everything out in that last race and that’s all I can give.

"To be able to back up race after race in five days, which equals 10 races, is pretty challenging in itself. To be honest I am happy with how its ended.

"It may not be the gold but it’s been a tough week and it’s been an amazing week also. And a bit of an emotional rollercoaster as well.

"But that’s what you expect out of our Paralympic Games, you know. You are at the pinnacle of the pinnacle and you get to race with the peak. I’m just glad it’s finished!”

Wanaka’s Hamish McLean, just 16 and a relative newcomer to the international Para-Swimming scene, finished seventh in the final of the 400m freestyle S6 in 5:30.63. In the morning McLean had taken nearly five seconds off his previous best to qualify sixth fastest in 5:22.88.

Earlier in the day 15-year-old Tupou Neiufi from Auckland, the youngest in the team, clocked 31.37s in her heat of the 50m freestyle S9 which was 15^th fastest and did not qualify.

Tomorrow sees today’s gold medallist Howarth back in the pool for the 100m breaststroke SB8 and Rebecca Dubber in the women’s 400m freestyle S7.

The Paralympics swimming action is live on Duke Channel.

CAPTION: Nikita Howarth. Credit BW Media.

Rio 2016 Paralympic