Three Medals for Sophie

19-year-old Christchurch swimming star Sophie Pascoe broke a world record and took three medals in the pool at the London Paralympics, two golds and a silver. Pascoe’s first gold saw her set a new world best of 2min 28.73sec, defending the 200m individual medley title she won in Beijing four years ago by six seconds. “It was quite unexpected,” Pascoe, a below-the-knee amputee, said of her achievements. “I would have been happy with a 27 but a 25, I’m absolutely stoked.” She won a second gold in the 100m butterfly and silver in the 50m freestyle. In other events, Northland cyclist Fiona Southorn, 44, won New Zealand’s first medal of the London Games, a bronze, in the women’s individual pursuit, while Philipa Gray and Laura Thompson also won bronze in the women’s 1km cycling time trial.

Image credit: Sophie Pascoe official website.