Alice Tai named International Paralympic Committee Athlete of the Month

Record-breaker Alice Tai has added another accolade to her growing collection of awards after being crowned Athlete of the Month.

The 20-year-old was the most successful athlete at the World Para-swimming Championships 2019 after winning seven gold medals.

She also set a new world record in the Women’s S8 100m backstroke after clocking an impressive 1:08.04 to break her own previous best.

Her triumphs led her to be shortlisted by the International Paralympic Committee for September’s Athlete of the Month award.

And Tai, who was this week named on the British Para-swimming World Class Programme for the 2019-20 season, picked up almost half the votes cast to top the poll.

First Brit to win 2019 award

She received 47 per cent of the public vote to finish ahead of Hungarian wheelchair fencer Eva Andrea Hajmasi (32 per cent)

Australian cyclist Carol Cooke and her compatriot and rower Kathryn Ross, plus Swiss track athlete Manuela Schaer were also nominated.

She becomes the first British athlete to receive the award this year.

Maisie Summers-Newton was nominated in April having set a new world record in the World Para-Swimming World Series but was beaten to the prize by Australian athlete Michael Roeger.