Tai and Summers-Newton on record-breaking form in Sheffield

Alice Tai and Maisie Summers-Newton both set world records on the opening night of the British Para-Swimming International Meet 2018 in Sheffield.

Paralympic gold medallist Tai (S8) was the first to medal and take gold in Ponds Forge, winning the MC 100m Freestyle in 1:03.66.

Canada’s Aurelie Rivard (S10) picked up the silver with 982 British Disability Points while S5 swimmer Tully Kearney took bronze with 976 points.

Ellie Robinson (S6) came in sixth place; Hannah Russell (S12) in eighth. Toni Shaw (S9), Grace Harvie (S6), Zara Mullooly (S10) and Stephanie Millward (S9) all competed in the race coming in joint 14th, 16th and 29th respectively.

A successful first day for England’s swimmers saw a second gold and a bronze finish in the Women’s MC 100m Breaststroke.

Fifteen-year-old Summers-Newton (SB6), who was favourite going into the World Series final, broke the world record.

She posted a new time of 1:33.92, gaining a total of 1033 points. Louise Fiddes (SB14) scored 980 for the third place podium position. Only Uzbekistan’s Fotimakhon Amilova (SB13) could separate them.

Rebecca Redfern (SB13) earned fifth place, Ellie Simmonds (SB6) finished in 7th, Bethany Firth (SB14) in 12th, Danielle Hartin (SB14) in 15th and Toni Shaw (SB9) in 22nd.

There were two more medals in the Men’s MC 100m Breaststroke with Scottish swimmers Scott Quin (SB14) and Conner Morrison (SB14) winning silver and bronze.

Hamer sets new European record

Earlier in the day, Tom Hamer set a new European record in the Men’s S14 100m Freestyle.

Hamer, who trains at the British Para-Swimming National Performance Centre in Manchester, posted a time of 53.53 and lowered his own continental record and gained a total of 998 points.

The first heats session of the event also saw a British record for Zara Mullooly in the 100m Freestyle. The S10 swimmer clocked a time of 1:03.01 and a total of 828 points over two laps of the Ponds Forge pool.

National titles contested

In the domestic women’s MC 100m Freestyle, Gloucester’s Harriet Dickinson (S10) took the national championship final scoring 608 points – she just beat the Cockermouth based duo Ella Cooper-Holmes and Drew Stables into silver and bronze positions respectively.

The men’s race saw Bournemouth Collegiate’s Leo McCrea (S6) take gold on 635 points, with the University of Stirling’s Jon Law (S13) and Mt Kelly’s William Perry (S6) with just two points separating second and third.

Brock Whiston (SB9), from Barking & Dagenham, took the women’s MC 100m Breaststroke title comfortably, scoring 887, with Littlehampton’s Georgia Howell (SB6) in second with 631 and Derby’s Megan Neave in third on 508.

In the men’s even,t Glasgow’s Gavin Roberts (SB14) took the national crown with a score of 787; with George Kelman-Johns (SB14) from Clayesmore second with 657 and Rhys Davies in third with 655.

Other events contested on day one included the women’s 50m Breaststroke title which was won by Ellie Challis of Colchester.

• Click here to view full results from the British Para-Swimming International Meet 2018.