The 15-year-old led the world record blitz at the Manchester Aquatics Centre as she finished in a time 3min 11.06sec to better her previous record of 3:11.82, which she had set at the European Championships in Iceland last October.

Simmonds was trailing in third place at the half-way stage in the race before a huge burst of speed saw her claim victory in stunning fashion.

Britain’s Natalie Jones took the silver while China’s Fuying Jiang picked up the bronze.

Simmonds said: "It was a big surprise to break the world record as this isn’t a peak event for us.

"We are all in heavy training in Spain right now for the World Championships in Eindhoven which take place in August so I didn’t think I would be able to break the record.

"I was delighted when I saw that I had broken it as this is such a fantastic event to swim at.

"I think we have all swam well because we have got such a good crowd and being on TV spurs you on well to do well for your team."

Simmonds’ blistering performance was superseded by fellow teenager Sam Hynd who claimed a world record in the men’s 400m freestyle in the S8 category with a time of 4:26.08.

Nyree Lewis (pictured) then followed suit by setting a world record in the 100m backstroke in the S6 category with a stunning time of 1:26.87 before Charlotte Henshaw set yet another world record of 1:39.56 in the women’s MD 100m breaststroke race as she held off compatriot Liz Johnson and simultaneously broke Johnson’s world record in the event.

Henshaw said: "I was really surprised with what I swam today as it was very unexpected.

"I’ve been slowly chipping away at Liz’s record and I finally took it today.

"I have a friendly rivalry with her and its always good too have someone to race against.

"It’s nice to have someone there with you at the block and then be a rival once you're in the water."

Johnson responded: "I’m disappointed to have lost my world record but I can’t complain about my time.

"Charlotte deservedly took that record this is great for the event from both our perspective and the spectators."

The record-breaking performances helped Britain win 16 medals in the pool, including 10 gold.

Victories also went to Jonathan Fox in S7 100m backstroke, Sascha Kindred in SM6 200m individual medley, Stephanie Millward in the S9 100m butterfly, Louise Watkin in the S9 50m freestyle, Thomas Young in the S8 100m backstroke and Matt Walker, who beat great rival and 11-time Paralympic champion Dave Roberts in the S7 50m freestyle.

But despite the performances by the swimmers, Britain could not secure victory in the overall team competition which was run across all of the four sports over the week.

It was eventually won the Rest of the World who beat Europe into second and Britain into third while the Americana’s finished in fourth.

A notable absentee from the swimming event was Beijing 2008 Paralympic champion Heather Frederiksen who was given a six-month ban by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) for failing a drug test at last years European Championships.

The 24-year-old was stripped of the three medals she won at the competition but her ban was backdated to October 23 meaning that she was eligible to compete in Manchester.

However, Frederiksen is understood to be adjusting her medication for her asthma condition to ensure that it is under the legal limit of prescribed medication for her event before she returns to competition. 

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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