Paralympics: Josef Craig’s world record swimming gold

(footage provided by Channel 4)

Craig (pictured below) was immediately ahead of the rest of the field and managed to maintain his pace throughout the whole race. This morning he broke the world record for this race with a time of four minutes, 45.79 seconds.

In the final the teenager managed to knock a further three seconds off his time, winning in four minutes, 42.81 seconds, meaning he had broken the world record for the second time in one day.

The athlete whose world record Craig broke in the heats – ParalympicsGB team mate Jonathan Fox – finished the race in fourth place.

Electric debut

Craig is making his Paralympic debut at the London 2012 Games and his only major previous result was finishing sixth in the S7 400m freestyle at the British Championships this year.

Fox has been to one previous Paralympic Games, Beijing, where he won silver in the S7 100m backstroke. He was European and British champion this year in the S7 400m freestyle.

Other swimming results

First for ParalympicsGB in a swimming final tonight was James Crisp in the SM9 200m medley. Crisp produced a very strong backstroke leg to challenge for a medal but finished the race in fifth. Australia’s Matt Cowdrey won the gold with a time of two minutes, 15.95 seconds.

Next up were Louise Watkin, Stephanie Millward and Claire Cashmore in the women’s version of the medley race. They were up against South African swimming sensation Natalie du Toit.

As expected, Natalie du Toit won the gold – but silver and bronze went to ParalympicsGB’s Stephanie Millward and Louise Watkin respectively.

Australia’s Jacqueline Freney won an astonishing seventh 2012 gold medal in the women’s S7 400m freestyle, breaking the world record at the same time. ParalympicsGB’s Susannah Rogers won the bronze.

Heather Frederiksen won a silver in the S8 100m freestyle with the USA’s Jessica Long winning gold.