Aberdeen’s Toni Shaw has won a bronze medal in the S9 400m freestyle at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
The 18-year-old swam a PB to finish behind Australia’s Lakeisha Patterson and Hungary’s Zsofia Konkoly.
Former Albyn School pupil Shaw had cruised through her heat in the early hours of the morning, her time of 4:46.19 sending her into the final as the second-fastest qualifier – as she had been coming into the Games.
The University of Aberdeen Performance Swim Team member went much quicker in the final, swimming a personal best of 4:39.32, which was just shy of the British record of 4:.39.29.
The Aberdeen Queen!@tonishaw_x collects a superb 🥉 in her first ever Paralympics 👏#Tokyo2020 #C4Paralympics pic.twitter.com/UYEXICo67Y
— C4 Paralympics (@C4Paralympics) August 25, 2021
Reacting to the result, Shaw told Channel 4: “I don’t really know what to say – I’m just so happy right now and want to say hi to all my family and friends at home who are watching, and the biggest thank you ever to them because they are all so amazing.
“It’s definitely been a different journey for everyone over the past year and without my coach and club back in Aberdeen, and family taking me swimming every day, I wouldn’t be here.
“It’s been a really good year.
“I was really, really nervous before tonight, but my coach (Gregor McMillan) helped me calm my nerves.
“My room-mate Maisie (Summers-Newton) is swimming her main event tomorrow and I’m so excited to cheer her on, then I’m back for the relay on Sunday, which I’m so excited for.”
A proud moment 😁
How @tonishaw_x's family reacted to her first ever Paralympic medal 🥉 🏊♀️#Tokyo2020 #C4Paralympics pic.twitter.com/D9uQYkjUFP
— C4 Paralympics (@C4Paralympics) August 25, 2021
Shaw will also swim the 100m freestyle on August 31, as well as the 100m butterfly on September 2, in Tokyo – and hopes are high there could be also be medals in both of those events for the emerging Granite City pool star.
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