Singapore’s Yip Pin Xiu created a significant milestone on Friday (Aug 30) by securing the gold medal in the women’s 100m backstroke S2 final at the Paris Paralympics. This remarkable victory marked Singapore’s first medal at the 2024 Paralympics.
Competing at the La Defense Arena, Yip, the defending champion, demonstrated her exceptional skills as she completed the race in an impressive time of 2:21.73. This outstanding achievement not only earned her Singapore’s first medal of the Paris Games but also placed her ahead of the silver medalist Haidee Aceves from Mexico (2:21.79) and the bronze medalist Angela Procida from Italy (2:24.48).
At the age of 32, Yip has now won gold in the women’s 100m backstroke S2 event in three consecutive Paralympic Games, having secured victories in 2016 and 2020 as well. As Singapore’s most decorated Paralympian, she also proudly holds the current world record in this event along with the world record for the 50m backstroke S2.
Earlier in the day, Yip displayed her dominance by finishing first in the heats, leaving her closest competitor Aceves trailing by almost four seconds. This outstanding performance solidifies her reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the swimming arena.
Yip’s accomplishment adds to the success of the three Team Singapore para swimmers who have qualified for this year’s Paralympic Games. Alongside Yip, Toh Wei Soong and Sophie Soon will also showcase their skills in the pool during the remainder of the event.
Looking ahead, Yip will be competing in the 50m backstroke S2 heats on Saturday, furthering her pursuit of victory and potentially adding to her already impressive collection of six Paralympic gold medals.
Don’t miss the opportunity to witness the stellar performances of Team Singapore at the Paralympic Games Paris 2024. You can watch the event live and on-demand for free at mewatch.sg/paris2024.
