COWDREY DEFENDS PARALYMPIC CROWN IN WORLD RECORD TIME
BEIJING, September 9: Matthew Cowdrey has earned a well deserved rest after last night claiming his first gold medal of the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games in devastating fashion, blazing away his own world record in the S9 100 freestyle to successfully defend the Olympic crown he won in Athens four years ago.
Cowdrey, who has a congenital amputation of his left arm, lit up the water cube in the blue ribband sprint, clocking a time of 55.30 to become the fastest swimmer in history with one arm, relegating China's Zhi Goh (56.13) and day one butterfly gold medallist, Tamas Sors (56.80) of Hungary to the minor medals.
The courageous win takes the Norwood 19-year-old's Paralympic career tally to three gold after also claiming the 200 individual medley in Athens four years ago, an event he will also start a firm favourite for later in the week.
"The times keep coming down. I swam a 59 (seconds) in Athens and I swim a 55 (seconds) here, which just goes to show how Paralympic sport keeps improving,'' said Cowdrey, who collected his flowers and medal from Australian Paralympic Committee president Greg Hartung and Federal Sports Minister Kate Ellis.
Ellis, a fellow South Australian, also gave Cowdrey a peck on the cheek.
"She's an Adelaide girl after all,'' Cowdrey said later. He has a rest day tomorrow before resuming his hectic schedule of eight events.
In other finals on day two it was a case of ‘bronzed Aussies' for the duo of surprise packet Jacqueline Freney and day one golden boy Peter Leek who both picked up bronze medals on day two.
Freney grabbed her third placing in the S8 100 freestyle in a time of 1:08.56 to finish behind winner, Jessica Long (1:06.91) of the United States and Britain's, Heather Frederiksen (1:08.48).
"I wasn't nervous at all. But while the others were listening to music (in marshalling area) I left my i-Pod behind. So I just chilled out and relaxed,'' said the 16 year-old Freney from Byron Bay, NSW.
Australia's 100m butterfly gold medallist from day one, Leek was unlucky in his close 100 metre freestyle final finishing with bronze by just 0.30 of a second behind gold medallist, Wang Xiaofu of China (58.84) with Russian, Konstantin Lisenkov (59.01) claiming silver.
Fellow Aussie Ben Austin finished a tight fourth placing in the event in a personal best time of 59.78.
Further finals results included Ellie Cole (1:04.24) fourth, Annabelle Williams (1:05.43) seventh, in the S9 100 freestyle, Prue Watt was sixth (4:46.21) and Teigan Van Roosmalen eighth (5:02.17) in the S13 400 metres freestyle while Daniel Bell (59.85) and Rick Pendelton (59.87) placed fifth and sixth respectively in the S10 100 metres butterfly.
There was a re-start in the second final of the night the 400m for S13 (legally blind) swimmers, featuring the vision-impaired freestylers Watt and Van Roosmalen.
Roosmalen, who is also profoundly deaf and on block eight where lights had been set up by the FINA technical officials to flash when the starting gun fired.
But they did not illuminate so Van Roosmalen was left stranded while the remaining seven swimmers took off.
The race was stopped at the 75-metre mark by dropping the false start rope. But Van Roosmalen was visibly upset thinking her chance at a Paralympic final was gone.
The girls were taken back to the marshalling area and told the race would be re-swum after a 10 minute rest, which gave time for technicians to fix the starting lights.
In the second running, Watt finished sixth and Van Roosmalen was eighth. Her time was more than three seconds slower than her heat swim.
"For Teigan it was a shock because she's a rookie,'' Australia's head coach Brendan Keogh said.
"But we see it as a positive experience because we've been looking ahead for Teigan to London (2012 Paralympics) and this will make her a better swimmer.''
Keogh said neither girl's results had been affected by the starting malfunction.
The incident was quickly forgotten when Leek collected a bronze in the S8 100m.
2008 PARALYMPICS AUSTRALIAN SWIMMING MEDALLISTS AFTER DAY TWO
Gold (2)
Peter Leek Men's 100 metre butterfly - S8 1:00.95 WR
Matthew Cowdrey Men's 100 metre freestyle - S9 55.30 WR
Silver (2)
Matthew Cowdrey Men's 100 metre butterfly - S9 59.46
Ellie Cole Women's 100 metre butterfly - S9 1:10.92
Bronze (3)
Annabelle Williams Women's 100 metre butterfly - S9 1:10.98
Jacqueline Freney Women's 100 metre freestyle - S8 1:08.56
Peter Leek Men's 100 metre freestyle - S8 59.14
Kurt Hanson
Media Manager
Hanson Media Group
* Additional reporting courtesy APC Beijing Media Team.