It’s GOLD for Wollaston’s Maisie Summers-Newton as paralympian ‘couldn’t be happier’ to win medley event at Paris games

After winning the second heat with a time of 2:58.40, Maisie Summers-Newton MBE has followed up on the victory by claiming the top spot in the final, and winning her third Paralympic gold medal.

The Wollaston-raised swimmer got off to a fast start from lane 4, and led after the first butterfly length, transitioning into backstroke in the lead.

Maisie fought off a charge from USA’s Ellie Marks but managed to extend her lead during the breaststroke leg of the race, by which point her front crawl took her home comfortably in first position with a time of 2.56.9.

In a post-race interview, Maisie thanked her family and her coach, Andy Sharp, in Northampton.

Speaking to Channel 4, she said: “I was really nervous. With me, I come with a lot of self doubt.

"I can’t believe it, it’s been such an amazing three years since Tokyo, finishing my uni degree and carrying on swimming alongside that and now defending my Paralympic title. I’m a three-time Paralympic medalist, what the hell.”

"We’re an amazing team, and coming here we work so well. I couldn’t be happier.”

The 22-year old currently holds the world record at the same discipline after breaking her own record at the Citi Para Swimming World Series in Berlin this summer.

Having won two gold medals at Tokyo 2021, both in the 200m Medley and the 100m Breaststroke, Maisie has followed it up with one more for the collection.

Her victory came shortly after Great Britain’s Tully Kearney won the gold in the women’s 100m freestyle, making it a successful day for British swimming.