LEEK FLIES TO PARALYMPIC GOLD WITH WORLD RECORD IN BEIJING
BEIJING, CHINA, September 8: Sydney 19-year-old, Peter Leek has opened the swimming program at the 2008 Paralympic Games with a sensational swim in claiming Australia's first Paralympic gold in the pool on day one with a world record victory in the S8 men's 100 metres butterfly.
Leek who was born with cerebral palsy made his intentions clear from the morning heats session where he qualified fastest for the final in a time of 1:01.01 before stepping it up in the final to take the gold in another world mark of 1:00.95.
The Wizards swim club member out touched the Chinese duo of Wei Yanpang (1:01.49) and Wang Xiaofu (1:01.68) for the memorable win and will now start a strong favourite in his specialist 100 backstroke event where he is the current world champion.
Further success came to the Australian swim team courtesy of S9 100 metre butterfly duo, Matthew Cowdrey and Ellie Cole who both claimed silver in their respective men's and women's finals while Gold Coast teenager, Annabelle Williams claimed the bronze behind team mate, Cole.
In one of the races of the Games so far, South Australian Cowdrey 59.46 showed down against Hungarian world record holder, Tamas Sors with the European just grabbing the gold on the wall by 0.12 of a second in another world record of 59.34.
Australia's minor place getting women faced a tough task in the S9 100 butterfly against South African star, Natalie Du Toit who last month became the first disability athlete in history to compete at the able bodied Olympic Games in the 10 kilometre open water event.
Du Toit, a leg amputee took her first gold of the games in a phenomenal world record swim of 1:06.74 while it was all smiles for Ellie Cole (1:10.92) and Annabelle Williams (1:10.98) who held on for the first Australian female medals at the water cube.
In other swimming finals on Day one Prue Watt (1:07.48) finished fourth and Teigan Van Roosmalen seventh (1:09.48) in the women's S13 100 butterfly. Sarah Rose (3:29.54) was seventh in the women's SM6 200 metre individual medley. Shelley Rogers grabbed fourth (3:12.68) in the women's SM7 200 metre individual medley. Ben Austin (1:03.50) placed fifth in the men's S8 100 metre butterfly and Sam Bramham (1:02.58) was seventh in the S9 100 metres butterfly.
2008 PARALYMPICS DAY ONE AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING MEDALLISTS
Gold
Peter Leek
Men's 100 metre butterfly - S8 1:00.95 WR HEAT 1:01.01 WR
Silver
Matthew Cowdrey Men's 100 metre butterfly - S9 59.46
Ellie Cole
Women's 100 metre butterfly - S9 1:10.92
Bronze
Annabelle Williams Women's 100 metre butterfly - S9 1:10.98