Ecstatic Ellard claims first Paris 2024 swimming medal for Paralympics GB

William Ellard collected the first medal in the pool for Paralympics GB on the opening night of the Paris 2024 Games and said: “I’m absolutely ecstatic.”

Ellard set a new personal best for the second time in the day as he was narrowly beaten by his good friend, Denmark’s Alexander Hillhouse, on his Paralympics debut.

Hillhouse won the gold in a new Paralympic record of 54.61 with Ellard only 0.25 seconds adrift as he clocked 54.86.

That was 0.11 faster than his qualification time of 54.97 he set in the morning’s heat, which was a then personal best.

Ellard said: “I’m absolutely ecstatic with a silver medal.

“It’s definitely hard here being in the Paralympics, going back to the village and trying to recover yourself as fast as possible and then come back.

“The last 25 metres hurt a lot – a lot.

“It’s getting into my week. I’ve got the 200 Free on Saturday and I’m favourite to win that and I’m going into that quite confident.

“I’m really good friends with him [Alexander]. He came over just after my trials and we spent a couple of days together and got on quite well.

“So, it’s definitely like, big congrats to him.”

Ellard was ahead at the turn but Hillhouse clocked a 28.99 spilt in the final 50m to move from fourth to first and top the podium.

The silver came moments before Poppy Maskill won the first gold medal for ParalympicsGB in the Women’s 100m Butterfly S5.

Cameron Vearncombe finished in eighth spot in his first Paralympics final as he touched home in a time of 58.73.

Toni proud to be in Paris

Toni Shaw battled hard as she looked to repeat her bronze medal success at the rearranged Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games but she had to settle for fifth place in the Women’s 400m Freestyle S9.

Shaw touched home in 4:48.44 – almost five seconds quicker than her morning heat time.

The 21-year-old admitted afterwards she was happy to be competing at the La Defense Arena after suffering an injury at the start of the year.

Shaw said: “I’ve just got be be proud to be here. Obviously, I wanted to do better than that. 

“I think every person here wants to win a medal and swim best times but I injured myself at the start of the year so, in January, I didn’t think I’d even be here.

“So I think I’ve just got to be proud of that and seeing my family up there was really special.

“I wouldn’t be here without all my friends and family and all the support people that have helped me get here and I want to say that I love them all.

“I could only see the two girls beside me so I was like, I’ve just got to try and beat them.

“I couldn’t see the other girls at the side of the pool but they swam so well.

“So, yeah, I guess just well done to them and, hopefully, in four years’ time I’ll be a bit more ready and I just hope to be going for a medal.”