Maisie Summers-Newton's delight as she completes a golden double-double!
Northampton swimmer Maisie Summers-Newton got a kick out of doing the double-double at the Paralympics.
Having made it back-to-back 200m medley titles, Summers-Newton dominated the 100m breaststroke to successfully defend her crown.
The 22-year-old set a new Paralympic and European record of 1:31.30 in the process.
“There was a lot less weight on me for this one,” said Summers-Newton, who is part of Aldi’s Nearest and Dearest programme in partnership with ParalympicsGB, helping to maximise support and minimise potential distractions for athletes so that they can focus on their performance.
“I feel like, in a sense, the medley was passed down to me from Ellie (Simmonds) so there’s a lot of weight on me for that event.
“Breaststroke is my strongest stroke and even though I was going in two seconds faster, I still had those self-doubts.
“Thinking back to when I was watching Ellie at London 2012, never ever did I think I’d come away with four gold medals from two Paralympic Games and to do it in front of my family, I’m so happy.”
Simmonds has offered Summers-Newton plenty of support throughout the Games as she continues her legacy in the S6 class.
“Ellie will always have my heart,” she said. “She’s an icon for me and she messaged me before the race saying, ‘you’ve got this, you can do it.’
“Just having that support from her, she went to four Paralympic Games, so she knows a lot more than me and it’s a comfort blanket in a sense.”
Elsewhere, Desborough’s Bruce Dee broke the British record to finish sixth in the 100m breaststroke, clocking 1:23.05.
“I’m very happy, I couldn’t be more chuffed,” said Dee. “I’ve just tried to enjoy the Games; it’s been a new experience for me, and I hope I can use this to propel forwards.”
Aldi are proud Official Partners of Team GB & ParalympicsGB, supporting all athletes through to Paris 2024.