Maisie Summers-Newton and William Ellard set new world records in Berlin

Maisie Summers-Newton and William Ellard both set new world records as Great Britain topped the medal table at the Citi Para Swimming World Series in Berlin.

The German capital hosted the penultimate World Series event before the Paris Paralympics Games where 23 of the Paris bound team where in action for four days of racing.

They collected 24 medals and set a number of new record times as their preparation for the Paralympics continued.

One of the highlights of the week was Summers-Newton’s powerful swim in the Women’s 200m Individual Medley display that lowered her SM6 world record from the Tokyo Games.

She knocked more than a second and a half off her time to set a 2:55.07 to earn 1023 multi-classification points to round out her competition with gold. It gave her a third medal of the week, adding to the 400m Freestyle gold and 100m Breaststroke silver earlier in the competition.

Speaking to Aquatics GB on her performances she said: “I feel so pleased to have raced so well in Berlin while we are in still in a period of full training.

“To break a world record too has given me a lot of confidence for this point of the season, and I feel really excited to see what’s to come in Paris!”

Electric Ellard

As well as a world record, Ellard ended his time in Germany with seven medals and a European record too.

Like Summers-Newton, he lowered his own world record in the Men’s S14 100m Freestyle to 51.07 which earnt him one of his two individual golds of the week alongside the 50m Freestyle.

He also won three bronze medals which included a 400m Freestyle European record where he notched a time of 4:09.02. He also won bronze in the 200m Freestyle and 100m Butterfly events.

Ellard’s seven medal haul was completed with two relay titles. He led off the S14 quartet in the Mixed 4x100m Medley team with Maskill, Harry Stewart and Olivia Newman-Baronius as well as being part of the Mixed 4x100m Freestyle with Louise Fiddes, Poppy Maskill and Rhys Darbey.

Commenting on his world record swim, Ellard said: “I’m just trusting my coach here, [the plan was to] go out quite easy and build into the turn, push off and work the last fifty and hope for the best. I died in the last five metres and thought I didn’t do it, but it’s all good practice towards Paris.”

Newmarn-Baronius also added to the record books with a new S14 European best in the Women’s MC 200m Butterfly with a time of 2:29.54 which earnt her silver in the multi-classification standings behind British teammate Faye Rodgers who broke the S10 world record mark.

It was another strong showing for Rio 2016 Paralympic champion Alice Tai who won three golds, a silver and a bronze in Berlin.

She led an all British podium in the MC Women’s 100m Butterfly ahead of Rodgers and Callie-Ann Warrington whilst also taking the 200m Backstroke and 50m Butterfly titles.

Thirteen year-old Iona Winnifrith once again impressed as she set an SB7 European best of 40.71 in the 50m Breaststroke.

That won her silver as she finished just three tenths back from Canada’s Tess Routliffe, who set the new worlds best time.

Also taking to the podium in Berlin was Bruce Dee in the Men’s MC 200m Individual Medley and Poppy Maskill in the Women’s MC 100m Freestyle with both swimmers winning bronze.

After Berlin, the Citi Para Swimming World Series goes to Limoges, France as the last meet before Paris 2024 Paralympic Games this weekend.

You can find the results from the Citi Para Swimming World Series Berlin 2024 inc. IDM Berlin Para Swimming meet can be found here, while live streaming playback is available on sportdeutschland.tv.