GB relay team cap great night in the pool

By Paul Carter

Great Britain’s men’s 34-point 4x100m freestyle relay team capped yet another night of success at the Water Cube as they defended their Paralympic title.

Matt Walker, Graham Edmunds, Dave Roberts and Rob Welbourn took seven seconds out of the world record with a new best of 3:51.43.

Despite being pushed hard by a strong Australian team, the British quartet managed to hold a lead from the second leg onwards.

With Welbourn bringing the team home against an Australian swimmer from a lower classification, he only had to maintain the lead to secure the medal.

“We are all so happy to get the gold and retain our title,” said Edmunds.

“Everyone in the team put in great swims and it all went a lot better than it ever has for us,” he said.

Earlier, Heather Frederiksen delighted her teammates by going one better than the silver she collected on day two.

Frederiksen took a second off the world record she had earlier set in the heats as she picked up the team’s fifth gold medal of the day in the S8 100m backstroke.

“It can’t get any better than getting a gold medal. It makes all the hard work worth it,” she said.

“I thought the feeling of getting the silver was good but this has surpassed it.”