Simmonds posts record time for ParalympicsGB in day five heats

Four-time Paralympic gold medallist Ellie Simmonds set a new Paralympic record on day five of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Very comfortable swim for @EllieSimmonds1 in her heat of the Women’s SM6 200m IM, 1st & NEW #Paralympics RECORD pic.twitter.com/Hmrwt6iKLS

— British Swimming (@britishswimming) September 12, 2016

Competing in the 200m Individual Medley, in which the SM6 classification swimmer is defending world and Paralympic champion, she clocked 3:02.40 to qualify fastest.

The Boldmere swimmer was 2.39 seconds shy of the world record time she swam at last year’s British National Para-Swimming Championships in Manchester.

She used the breaststroke leg to put some real distance between herself and the rest of the field.

Paralympic swimmer Simmonds said: “I was really shocked by that time but it’s going to be a very tough race in the final.

“Seeing my team-mates do so well always spurs you on but my focus is on personal bests and medals would be a bonus. I’ve already achieved my dream of winning four Paralympic titles.”

In the men’s event, SM6 classification swimmer Sascha Kindred won his heat to qualify third fastest for the final.

The 38-year old clocked 2:43.75 to progress and was reinstated to the final after originally being disqualified.

• Confused about classification? Check out the Lexi decoder video here.

Rodgers second fastest for 50m Butterfly

While Simmonds will be gunning for her first medal of Rio 2016, ParalympicsGB teammate Susie Rodgers will be hoping to secure a second.

Rodgers, who already secured a bronze medal in the 50m Freestyle on day two, was just 0.12 seconds outside of her personal best time as she qualified second fastest in the 50m Butterfly.

The S7 classification swimmer touched in 36.02, behind Nikita Howarth of New Zealand on 35.40.

Alice Tai will be the only other English athlete in action tonight.

Tai, who won bronze in the 100m Backstroke on day three, qualified eighth fastest in the S10 100m Butterfly.

The Bournemouth Collegiate School swimmer was more than five seconds shy of her personal best 1:07.00, but still bagged an outside lane for the final with a 1:12.98 effort.

GB miss out on final positions in 100m Free

The Men’s S9 100m Freestyle had three British swimmers looking for places in the final. Paralympic newcomers Lewis White, Ryan Crouch and Matt Wylie finished 10th, 13th and 16th respectively after their respective heats.

British record holder White was less than a second away from the final, touching in 58.51 with Japan’s Takuro Yamada claiming the eighth spot on 57.84.

Crouch was also less than a second away from qualification in 58.65 while Wylie touched in 59.32.

In the women’s event, Amy Marren finished 10th overall in 1:05.63.

• View full results from day five swimming heats of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Image credit: OnEdition