Du Toit claims third consecutive Commonwealth Games victory

By Tom Degun in New Delhi

October 5 - Paralympic swimming star Natalie du Toit claimed a spectacular victory in the women’s 50 metre freestyle here at the Dr. S. P. Mukherjee Aquatics Complex today.

The 26-year-old South African, who lost her leg in a motorbike accident in 2001, retained her Commonwealth title for the third straight Games.

The 10-time Paralympic gold medallist claimed victory in a Commonwealth Games record of 29.17sec as she held off Australia’s Annabelle Williams, who got silver, and Stephanie Millward of England.

Du Toit has held the 50m and 100m freestyle Commonwealth title for elite athletes with a disability since the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games and is perhaps best known for competing against able-bodied athletes at the Beijing 2008 Olympics where she finished 16th in the 10km open water race.

She is one of the world’s most well-known Paralympians on the planet and has dominated disability swimming at the last two Commonwealth Games and Paralympics.

Du Toit, who has announced she will retire from the sport after London 2012, is looking to bow out of the Commonwealth Games on top and made the perfect start to the event with gold in the women’s 50m freestyle S9 category.

"I’m happy to start these Games that way, with these being my last Commonwealth Games,” she said.

2I always struggle to start quickly and knew I had to put in a big effort in the final 25 metres.

"The other girls in the S9 class are getting quicker, which is good for the sport.

"It was a good race for me though and I’m glad my time was faster than it was at the Beijing 2008."

She is now set to compete in the women’s S9 100m freestyle and women’s S9 100m butterfly, the only other women’s parasport events on the swimming schedule in Delhi.

Du Toit’s victory was South Africa’s second of the Games after able-bodied swimmer Chad le Clos won the men’s 200m butterfly on day one of the competition.

There are 15 parasport events at the Commonwealth Games with six in swimming, six in athletics, two in powerlifting and one in table tennis which is only open to women.

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