Support truly
independent journalism
Alice Tai topped the Paralympic podium less than three years after opting to have her right leg amputated to cap a super Saturday for Great Britain’s swimmers in Paris.
The 25-year-old completed a 36-minute gold rush with victory in the women’s 100m S8 backstroke after compatriots Stephen Clegg and William Ellard secured titles in world record times.
A stunning hat-trick for ParalympicsGB at La Defense Arena came amid silver for Poppy Maskill and bronze for Louise Fiddes.
Tai, a relay gold medallist at Rio 2016, missed Tokyo 2020 due to an elbow injury before deciding to undergo surgery below the knee due to pain in her club foot and nerve damage caused by using crutches.
“The last three years have been kind of crazy,” said Tai, whose grandfather died early this year.
“I’ve had six surgeries on three different limbs over the course of like two and a half years, and a lot’s happened in my personal life.
“I feel like I’ve really made myself proud and made everyone supporting me proud.
“A lot of people know that it’s not been the easiest few years, so to come here and swim a time (like) that I’m really, really happy.
“To get my first individual gold at the Paralympics is super, super special.”
Tai touched the wall in a Paralympic record of one minute 9.06 seconds, 5.91 seconds ahead of Russian silver medallist Viktoriia Ishchiulova.
“It’s been two and a bit years since my amputation and I feel now that my stroke itself is balanced,” she added.
“I feel like the actual swim is pretty solid now, so I’m happy. I feel like I’m 80 per cent of the way there.”
In the opening race of the evening session, Clegg comfortably held off the challenge of Azerbaijan’s Raman Salei and Ukraine’s Yaroslav Denysenko to win the men’s S12 100m backstroke and his first Paralympic gold.
The 28-year-old, who finished in 59.02 seconds to upgrade the silver he delivered at Tokyo 2020, wants to eclipse his elder sister Libby Clegg, a former sprinter who has five Paralympic medals and is in France working for television.
“Me and my sister had a chat before coming out here about medal tally,” he said.
“I’ve got two more events and I’m at four so we might need to go down to gold medals. We’ll see how it goes.
“I was very, very lucky to get to chat to her as soon as I got out the pool. I was very emotional. I didn’t really know what to say. I was kind of speechless, which was a bit awkward because it was on live TV.
“I felt a bit of a babbling idiot. I can’t wait to see her and give her a hug.”
While Clegg was conducting his post-race interviews, Ellard took the men’s S14 200m freestyle crown in one minute 51.30 seconds.
The 18-year-old dedicated victory to his late grandmother Sue Tipple, who died in 2020.
“The last 25 (metres) I knew I’d won it, just having my family behind me and my nan in the back of my head, doing it for her,” he said.
“She was my biggest supporter when I was swimming. The last message she sent to me on WhatsApp was: ‘I’ll see you in Paris 2024’.
“She’d have my medals up around her house when I went around there when she was still alive and my grandad will be watching at home.
“I know she will be up there somewhere watching me.”
A British one-two-three looked on the cards in the S14 200m freestyle following the heats.
But Olivia Newman-Baronius, who was third fastest in qualifying, was pushed out of a medal spot as Russian Valeriia Shabalina snatched glory ahead of Maskill and Fiddes.
