Poppy Maskill breaks own record to win world S14 100m butterfly

Great Britain’s Poppy Maskill broke her own world record to win the women’s S14 100m butterfly on the final day of the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore.

The 20-year-old Cheshire swimmer won in one minute 2.58 seconds, lowering the mark of 1:03.00 she set in winning Paralympic gold in Paris last year.

Britain’s Olivia Newman-Baronius also dipped under the previous record, finishing less than two-tenths of a second behind her team-mate to claim silver.

There was also a gold medal for Britain’s Will Ellard in the men’s event of the same discipline, while Brock Whiston claimed silver in the women’s SB8 100m breaststroke.

The four medals took Britain’s tally up to 40 for the championships – 15 gold, 14 silver and 11 bronze – as they finished fifth in the final medal table.

“I’m really happy with that,” said Maskill, after following up on the Paralympic success she had as a teenager in a race with three Britons in the top four, as Louise Fiddes finished just outside the podium places.

“To get the world record again was amazing and just an unreal feeling.

“I think I’ve done a good job this week being the first year [in the cycle] back after Paris. I’ll go back and look at all the little things I can improve with my coach Nick [Thompson] and can hopefully come back for more.”

Ellard, 19, beat Brazilian world record holder Gabriel Bandiera in a blanket finish to win the men’s S14 100m butterfly.

Whiston, 28, claimed her fourth medal of the championships, but was once again unable to edge out Spain’s Paralympic champion Anastasiy Dmytriv Dmytriv in the women’s SB8 100m breaststroke, after also finishing second to her at the Paris Games.