Three consecutive 100m Backstroke Paralympic titles for Firth after Tokyo gold

Bethany Firth has taken the Women’s S14 100m Backstroke Paralympic crown once again after winning the gold medal on day nine.

A dominant swim saw her win the event for the third Paralympics in a row after finishing on top of the podium in London, Rio and now Tokyo.

The 25-year-old is the current world record and Paralympic record holder in this event after her performances at the Rio Games.

She was just outside that time in this race, clocking in at 1:05.92, but explained that she ‘really wanted that race’ and described swimming as her ‘happy place’.

Firth said: “I spoke to my psychologist before and we talked about grounding myself and realising why I’m here and looking to my cross and everything and just keeping the faith and I really wanted that race so bad.

“I got it in London, I got it in Rio and that was the one I’d been waiting all week for so I’m so glad to come out and do it.

 I wouldn’t be here without them

“I just wish my family and support system were here to do it with them because I wouldn’t be here without them.

“Swimming’s my happy place and when it got taken away during Covid I really struggled and I needed them and I needed my church and my coach.

“They all built me up from the bottom and to just be here and to show them that all their hard work wasn’t for nothing – I just can’t wait to see them.

“I always say nothing’s impossible with God and I truly believe that so coming into this I just wanted to show everyone what you can do even though things haven’t gone your way – you can still come out and you can still fight.

“It’s so much more than winning a medal, it’s just enjoying it. I feel like in sport it’s so hard, people only care about if you come gold or silver – everyone here has made a Paralympics and they should be so proud to be a Paralympian.

“Just showing up and doing it in front of their country, in front of the world, that’s what it should be about, not the medals.”

Firth’s teammate Jessica-Jane Applegate joined her on the podium after she finished third to take the bronze medal in a time of 1:07.93.