Ellie Simmonds ready to end career in Paralympics after freestyle fifth place

Inspirational to the last, Ellie Simmonds concluded her Paralympic career in Tokyo on Thursday without a ninth medal to add to her haul from Beijing, London and Rio, but confident too that teammates who were motivated by her own achievements “are now inspiring the next generation”.

Simmonds was initially disqualified from fifth place in the women’s 400m freestyle S6 for not touching the wall on her second turn, but re-instated following an appeal. It was the last of her three finals in Tokyo, following a fourth place behind team-mate Maisie Summers-Newton in the 100m breaststroke and fifth in the 200m individual medley.

Before hearing the result of her appeal, Simmonds confirmed in an emotional interview with Channel 4 that she does not expect to compete in Paris in three years’ time.

“I think this is going to be my last,” Simmonds said. “I’ll go home and evaluate. Four Games. As an eight, nine-year-old, watching Athens 2004, to think as a kid then I would not just go to one Games but four. To go to a home Paralympics, to come away with eight Paralympic medals and being part of that Paralympic movement as well.

“I’m not just saying that because I’m gutted or anything like that. I knew going into these Games this was going to be the last. I don’t think I could go for another three years. I’m leaving it at the right time, I love it, I’ve absolutely had a wonderful competition and I’ve loved every minute of it.”

In addition to eight Paralympic medals, including a total of five golds at three Games, Simmonds won eight world championship golds, six more at the world 25m championships and seven at the European championships.

At 13, she was the youngest British competitor in Beijing in 2008, when she won two golds, and was just 14 when she became the youngest person ever to receive an MBE a few months later. She was elevated to an OBE in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to Paralympic sport, having won two golds in London the previous year, setting new world records in both the 400m freestyle and 200m individual medley as she did so.

“I can’t thank everyone enough for the support,” Simmonds said. “My coach, my parents, my sister, family, everyone, for getting me to these Games and helping to get me to four Paralympics, which is amazing. I love the Paralympics and I love absolutely everyone on the team, it’s just been incredible but I’m looking forward to going home.

“One thing about these Games is you don’t have your family and loved ones in the crowds. For me they’re like my comfort blanket, even though I’ve been going for so many years. Having them there in the crowd is a big thing for me … especially Billy [Pye], he is my rock; he is not just my coach, he is my best friend. Not having him here has been hard for me.

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“I could stand here for hours and thank those who have helped me. It has been an amazing part to play, inspiring that next generation. I am honoured. It makes me emotional to think that Maisie and Ellie [Robinson], all those guys and girls were inspired by watching me in 2012. Now they are inspiring the next generation.”

The depth of talent in Team GB’s swimming team was underlined an hour later when Bethany Firth joined Simmonds as a gold medallist at three Games with a dominant success in the women’s 100m backstroke S14. Firth, who took the same event in London and Rio, was in front at the turn and touched with nearly a second to spare over the runner-up, Valeriia Shabalina.

Reece Dunn, meanwhile, picked up his fourth medal in Tokyo, adding bronze in the men’s 100m backstroke to golds in the 200m freestyle and 200m individual medley and silver in the 100m butterfly.

source: theguardian.com