Maisie Summers-Newton set nerves aside to successfully defend Paralympic title

Maisie Summers-Newton says it’s a ‘memory none of us will ever forget’ as she successfully defended her Paralympic title in front of her loved ones.

The now three-time Paralympic gold medallist retained her 200m Individual Medley SM6 title in Paris.

Summers-Newton explained that she was ‘really, really nervous’ ahead of her final, but was able to channel that nervous energy into a dominant performance to win the gold medal.

The 22-year-old finished just outside of her own Paralympic record time (2:56.68) to record a time of 2:56.90 – almost six seconds ahead of USA’s Ellie Marks in second.

Fellow Paralympics GB swimmer, Grace Harvey, also featured in the final and swam a strong race to finish in fourth place.

Summers-Newton reflected on her title defence, saying: “I just can’t believe it.

“I’m a three-time Paralympic medallist! I just want to thank Andy Sharp, my coach from Northampton. We’ve got four athletes here which I think is pretty incredible for one club.

“What he’s done for para-sport at the club is brilliant and I’m so proud of the other three athletes here as well. We’re an amazing team and I think, coming here, we’ve just worked so well together so I couldn’t be happier.

“I was really, really nervous. I think that’s something that’s come since Tokyo. I think there’s a lot of pressure being Paralympic champion and then trying to defend your title.

“It’s been a lot but I’m just trying to enjoy it and remind myself ‘you’ve been at the top since 2018, it’s a long time and you’re obviously doing things right this year PB’ing and getting a new world record’.

“I think when you come to a Paralympic Games, obviously you want to get the medal more than anything so I think that was my main goal tonight, but the girls out there were obviously really fast as well and you just never know.

“I think I just put so much pressure on myself. I was super nervous but I think the nerves for me obviously work in some situations.

“It [breaststroke] gives me a lot of confidence. For me, it’s about how far ahead are the girls going to be on fly and back and trying to swim my own race because I can’t swim fly that fast as some of them.

“But the breaststroke I know I can try and catch up as much as possible and then on that front crawl leg just give it everything.”

It’s been a busy three years for the Northampton swimmer since her success in Tokyo as she’s balanced her university degree and studying alongside being an elite athlete.

“These three years have been fantastic. I’ve finished university, I’m a qualified primary school teacher now, met so many different friends but then at the same time I’ve still got that side to me where I am an elite athlete and I’m still trying to work really hard in the pool and I think that’s paid off over the last three years.”

Another big change since the previous Games in Tokyo was swimming in front of a huge crowd and the roaring atmosphere inside the La Defense Arena.

“I think it’s so special [the atmosphere]. I was really scared to be honest about the crowd before. I think that was another reason why I was nervous but having the crowd’s been amazing and seeing my family there at a Paralympic Games I think will be a memory that none of us will ever forget,” added Summers-Newton.