Majulah Singapura heard again as S'pore swimmer bags gold at Rio Paralympics

Joan Chew
The Straits Times
September 10, 2016

Singapore para-swimmer Yip Pin Xiu broke the world record to win gold in the 100m backstroke S2 event on Saturday (Sept 10) morning (Singapore time).

This is Singapore's first medal at the Rio Paralympics, which began on Thursday. Yip won out of a field of six swimmers.

The 24-year-old clocked 2min 7.09sec at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio, faster than China's Feng Yazhu (2min 18.65sec) and Ukraine's Iryna Sotska (2min 21.98sec), who won silver and bronze respectively.

She also broke the world record in the 50m backstroke with her split timing of 59.38s in the same race. 

Recounting her record-breaking swim to The Straits Times, Yip said: "I was dying during the race, trying my hardest to pull (my hands). I couldn't really see who was beside me.

"It was really just a lot of mental strength to go my fastest ever and to compete against myself and my previous timings.

"When I touched the wall, the first thing I saw was the Singaporean crowd jumping and at this moment, I knew I got first."

In a Facebook post on Saturday morning, President Tony Tan Keng Yam said Singapore was "so proud" of her. 

"When I met Pin Xiu during her training in June, she was still very modest about her chances, but told me she will do her best. She certainly did her best today," Dr Tan wrote. 

Yip's fellow swimmer Joseph Schooling, who last month made history by becoming Singapore's first Olympic gold medallist, also congratulated her on his Facebook page. 

Yip, who has muscular dystrophy, held the world record for the 100m backstroke (S2) going into the final.

She had clocked 2min 9.79sec for the event at the International Paralympic Committee Swimming European Open Championships in Funchal, Portugal in May this year.

Her new world record that powered her to this win in Rio sees her repeating her golden feat at her maiden Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2008 (when she won the the 50m backstroke in the S3 category).

In 2008, her performances ignited a debate about cash prizes for para athletes, which led to the rewards being doubled eventually.