Tokyo Para Heroes Lead The Way in MC Events At Queensland State Championships

17 December 2021

Tokyo Para Heroes Lead The Way in MC Events At Queensland State Championships

Australia’s Tokyo Paralympic stars led by gold medallists William Martin, Rowan Crothers and Benjamin Hance have put on quite the show at the 2021 McDonald’s Queensland Championships – continuing on their winning ways in the Multi-Class racing.

Hance (S14), who won gold, silver and bronze in a spectacular Tokyo debut, showed all his power to win the Multi-Class 50m backstroke in 26.76 (1040 points) in the swim of the meet so far, from USC Spartans team mate and fellow Paralympian Jacob Templeton (S13) and Joshua Alford (S14) from the University of Queensland.

Martin (Nudgee College) an S9 category swimmer, who made an opening night impact at the Games with his determined gold medal swim in the 400m freestyle and a second gold in the 100m butterfly (in world record time) showed just why he is the best of the best.

He won the 100m butterfly in 59.21 –and while almost two seconds outside his own world mark  - it was a comfortable win in his first major hit out since returning from the Games.

Martin finished ahead of Liam Schluter (Kawana Waters) with Hance and fellow Tokyo team mate Braedan Jason (USC Spartans) dead-heating for third.

Schluter was an impressive winner in the 200m freestyle in 1:56.81 ahead of Jack Ireland (Uni Of Queensland) with Alford third.

And not to be left out of the winners circle, came another Games golden boy in Crothers (Yeronga Park) who won the 100m freestyle in 52.25 from former lifesaving ironman and Games bronze medallist Tom Gallagher (Somerset) with the consistent Jason (USC Spartans) third.

In other events Tokyo silver and bronze 100m butterfly medallists Paige Leonhardt (S14) from Belgravia Swim Team and Ruby Storm (USC Spartans) were first and second in their pet event in 1:07.39 and 1:11.06 respectively with Montana Atkinson (Helensvale) third in 1:17.18.

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Southport rising star Natalie Shaw has chalked up a gold medal double already – taking the 50m backstroke over club mate and Tokyo bronze medallist Madeleine McTernan and the 100m freestyle ahead of Games 400m freestyle golden girl Lakeisha Patterson (Belgravia) and another Woogaroo 17-year-old Poppy Wilson.

While McTernan added the 200m freestyle ahead of Montana Atkinson (Helensvale) and Kael Thompson (SC Grammar), who also finished with bronze in the 50m backstroke.

·      The final Multi-Class events will be swum in the last session of the meet at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre from 6pm tonight.

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