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Rivard and Meyers Repeat Gold Medalists at Para Pan Pacs Day 2

2018 PAN PACIFIC PARA SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Day 2 of the 2018 Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships featured finals of the women’s S3, 5, 7, 9-12 100 free; men’s S4-6, 8, 10, 12 100 free; women’s SB3 50 breast, and men’s SB 2-3 50 breast. There was also a 4×100 mixed S14 medley relay, and a 34-point men’s 4×100 free relay.

Canada’s Aurelie Rivard, who Thursday broke her own S10 400 free world record, took home golden again in the 100 free Friday night. The 22-year-old split 28.93/30.52 to win in 59.45, just under three tenths off her own world record of 59.17, and was over half a second ahead of New Zealand’s Sophie Pascoe, the second-place finisher in 1:00.19.

The United States’ Becca Meyers, who also set a world record in the 400 Thursday night, won the S12 race in 1:01.01. Australia’s Ellie Cole the S9 race in 1:03.62; and McKenzie Coan led the U.S.’s sweep of the S7 race in 1:10.60.

Australia’s S10 swimmer Rowan Crothers won the 100 free in  51.16, followed by Brazil’s Phelipe Rodriguez in 53.03, and Australia’s Guy Harrison-Murray in 54.53. Also of note is that 17-year-old Ben Popham won the S8 race in 59.33, grabbing his first international gold.

The U.S.’s Leanne Smith won the SB3 50 breast in 57.62. In second was Brazil’s Patricia Santos in 1:02.80, and Australia’s Rachael Watson was third in 1:13.32.

Australia’s Ahmed Kelley won the men’s SB3 50 breast in 53.61, and his teammate Grant Patterson was the only SB2 swimmer, going 1:00.22.

The Australian team of Liam Schluter, Daniel Fox, Jamie Lee-Getson and Taylor Corry took gold in the S14 mixed 4×100 free relay in 3:57.86. The Australian men’s team of Tim Hodge, Rick Pendleton, Tom Disken and Matt Levy capped off the night with a win in the 34 point 4×100 medley relay, going 4:20.14.

 


											
										

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Kay
6 years ago

Searched hard for this. I think this is the video referred to by Steve and Fred. How the IPC could have been stupid enough to believe that this swimmer had genuine disabilities is beyond me. The Head Mistress of St Columbans College, well she just looks foolish at best until this is cleared up. To quote her “Lakeisha Patterson’s story is truly compelling and inspirational. Lucky recently had a full room of business people’s undivided attention, as she outlined a life where she has learnt to approach challenges differently to get ‘the same or even better outcomes’.

This literally is 50 minutes of Lakeisha Patterson explaining why she is better than you drivel. However, anyone interested in the current classification… Read more »

Fred
Reply to  Kay
6 years ago

That is the one Kay.
Demonstrates that she has no understanding of CP at all and the effect it has on the body and also she admits that she has never been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease.

Fred
Reply to  Kay
6 years ago

And here is a completely different version of events- also told by LP- obviously prior to “having CP”
https://we.tl/s-Uxv2E519Ef

Kay
Reply to  Fred
6 years ago

That link doesn’t seem to work Fred. Here’s her Australian Paralympic Committee Bio where they too claim that she has Early Onset Parkinsons Disease. Is it really this easy to pretend to be disabled and compete in Para Sport?
“Lakeisha “Lucky” Patterson has cerebral palsy, early-onset Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and micrographia” https://www.paralympic.org.au/athlete/lakeisha-patterson/

Taa
Reply to  Kay
6 years ago

Has anyone ever interviewed her old coach and asked her to confirm what Lakeisha said?

Swimhard
Reply to  Taa
6 years ago

Might be wrong but I think she’s referring to Jan Cameron.

Taa
Reply to  Swimhard
6 years ago

Okay then it would be a tough interview. Her story about switching coaches seems odd to me.

Kay
Reply to  Taa
6 years ago

That’s a really good idea, even the learn to swim coach.
Why Lakeisha Patterson does what she does is not really so surprising to me now though after reading these documents. These Australian swimmers are well funded, if my math is correct.
GHFSSS Mrs Gina Rinehart and Hancock Prospecting
$3912 for medals + $18000 base funding = $21,912
dAIS from the Australian Government
$35000
That’s a whopping $56,912 AUD tax free per annum. And if she’s been at it for 4 years?
Must have hurt her real hard to throw the 200IM and 100free. If Australias richest woman and its tax payers dont care it’s difficult to see who would. Still, very sad… Read more »

Kay
6 years ago

I watched Lakeisha Patterson very, very closely today and when I could, the lady with the Lucky sign in the Australian section. I certainly don’t mean to disrespect people with cerebral palsy but what is Patterson doing, what is Australia doing and what is the IPC doing? Heartbreaking stuff to watch this week and not what I was expecting at all. The lack of depth in most of the competition was alarming. I really hope that I have come to the wrong conclusion regarding the IPCs involvement in cheating.

Paul
Reply to  Kay
6 years ago

Kay that’s why they call her “lucky”, LUCKY she has NOT been caught!!!

Paul
6 years ago

SWIMHARD, I am guessing you are referring to 14 year old Ricky Betar who was an able bodied swimmer with one of the fastest reaction times in Australian junior swimming.

Who has also swum very well over the last couple of years at the Australian Age Championships as an able bodied swimmer, who just narrowly missed out on making the able bodied Australian junior dolphin team this year?

Suddenly and mysteriously, he is now an alleged S14 swimmer, who swimming Australia is rushing to have him internationally classified.

The story sounds extremely simular to another disingenuous able bodied swimmer, Abigail Lihou, who swimming Australia tried rushing her into the Australian team in 2017. She too burst onto the… Read more »

Swimhard
Reply to  Paul
6 years ago

Absolutely who I am referring to. Wasn’t sure if you can use names (though I see others do, just wasn’t sure of rules).

Ricky is a VERY successful age and school swimmer in NSW. He has numerous state age records and if memory serves has been Swimming since age 9/10. April this year was the first anyone heard of him swimming MC when he stayed back after Age Nationals to swim the MC program.

My knowledge of para is very limited but by the looks of his PBs and times swim this week in Cairns he will absolutely steal medals and places on teams from genuine s14 swimmers. His current times in most events would have won gold… Read more »

Fred
Reply to  Swimhard
6 years ago

In the same way they expected us to believe that Patterson legitimately broke the WR for 50 back at 14 when she was S7, and the other one was Thomas Kane where Australia avoided getting her classified as per the IPC rules because they knew damn well she would be too tall to be S6 for Rio – WR for breaststroke at age 14. Interestingly when she broke the record on one occasion she stated on national television that she had not been training much because she hadn’t been in the mood.

Paul
Reply to  Swimhard
6 years ago

He started swimming has an able bodied swimmer at 7 years of age, competitive swimming aged 10, it is all there to see for the public, just goggle the lads name. Furthermore, it’s a sad indictment that swimming Australia failed to carry out any proper due diligence, and instead chose to see medals and financial reward before fraud and ethics.

Swimhard
Reply to  Paul
6 years ago

I thought he started early, he’s been around a long time and at the top of the age group the whole time. He’s still very competitive nationally against some very talented kids, I’d love to know why all of a sudden they are targeting MC. He changed clubs about 12 months ago, I don’t believe that after all these years someone just noticed he had a disability. Reeks of cheating at multiple levels really.

Swimhard
Reply to  Swimhard
6 years ago

And just tonight Ricky breaks the Australian Open S14 200IM Record by 5 seconds. (NSW Short Course Champs). Unbelievable that this is allowed to happen.

Kay
Reply to  Swimhard
6 years ago

Hey Swimhard, have you tried raising your concerns with Swimming in Australia and the IPC? Would be interested to hear how you got on. I notice that Adam Pine is quoted saying his swimmers wouldn’t look out of place on an Olympic Swim Team. Thing is they should look out of place because they are supposed to be disabled. I’m just stating the obvious that he seems to have difficulty cottoning on to. The guy seems condescending actually and offensive. Not a good fit for the job perhaps?

Swimhard
Reply to  Kay
6 years ago

I haven’t. I’ll look into that. I’m not part of the para scene so not real sure how it all works. Ricky’s back swimming in age events at NSW Short Course Championships this weekend. No Multiclass Swimming this weekend! And winning age group medals in PB times. I had a look at the s14 open records, he’s smashing them and still only 14. Just seems a joke.

Kay
Reply to  Swimhard
6 years ago

Yeah, they (Australia) seem to have a pretty poor reputation in Para Swimming & it seems to be young kids too which is quite disturbing. 14 year olds smashing open records doesn’t seem right does it.

Swim Hard
Reply to  Paul
6 years ago

Wide World of Sport has run an interview this morning with claims about para cheating from an Australian Swimming Coach. Might see some action. We can only hope!

Kay
6 years ago

I’ve commented an awful lot I know, but I will be watching Patterson very, very closely today. The only races she has ‘lost’ to is Jessica and Ellie Cole. The IPC President Andrew Parsons is on his way to the Pan Pacific Para Championships ‘equivalent’ competition in Dublin. Why wasn’t he here in Cairns to witness for himself exactly what is going on? Is anyone from the IPC here?

Steve Long
6 years ago

The Para World Swimming web site states that Lakeisha Patterson has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, micrographia and early onset Parkinson’s disease. In a recent speach, Patterson admitted that some of these had never been officially diagnosed. I have never seen evidence of any symptoms presenting when she is swimming for medals. When others see her swim, they see her perfect symmetry and strong kick. They tell me she does not appear to have a disability and ask me why is she an S8. Is there anybody other than the IPC that really believes she is an S8?

Kay
Reply to  Steve Long
6 years ago

Watching her closely in the pool and around the grounds, no. Looking at these pictures of her clawed/unclawed hand, no. Victoria Arlen was classed NE based on video and medical evidence. That process took less than 12 months. It’s claimed the IPC have had all of this evidence and they haven’t acted. That doesn’t seem very ethical to me. What sense of achievement and pride is she getting from beating disabled competitors? What sense of achievement and pride in the Paralympic movement do the IPC staff get? Really awful and very sad to witness.

Fred
Reply to  Steve Long
6 years ago

I very much doubt the IPC thinks she is an 8 either Steve. For whatever reason they have backed themselves into a corner here and just refuse to back down and admit they have stuffed up.

Kay
6 years ago

Is anyone else curious about Australian Lakeisha Pattersons technique? Why is her left arm bent at the elbow and then straightening for entry in her backstroke but straight in her freestyle for example? I watched her 200IM swim and the relay and was extremely curious. Then I watched her backstroke race. I have found this video which is even more puzzling. I’ll watch her in the backstroke finals mainly because her stroke really is bizarre. I would think her Physiotherapist and coach would think so too. What is she doing and wouldn’t a member of the Australian Swimming staff suspect a bit of foul play? Don’t they have a responsibility to report this sort of thing to the IPC to… Read more »

Swimhard
Reply to  Fred
6 years ago

Wow!! That’s really disturbing. Though I doubt the swimmer in question here has an IQ lower than 75, let alone 70, given he reports he’s in a gifted academic program! But still terrible that it appears this easy to cheat the system.

About Torrey Hart

Torrey Hart

Torrey is from Oakland, CA, and majored in media studies and American studies at Claremont McKenna College, where she swam distance freestyle for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team. Outside of SwimSwam, she has bylines at Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, SB Nation, and The Student Life newspaper.

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