Yip Pin Xiu wins second gold medal at world championships, Latest Swimming News - The New Paper
Swimming

Yip Pin Xiu wins second gold medal at world championships

Singapore para-swimmer clinches 50m backstroke (S2) title to become a double world champion

Singapore para-swimmer Yip Pin Xiu clinched her second title at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships by winning the 50m backstroke (S2) event in London on Saturday morning (Sept 14, Singapore time).

The 27-year-old, who had won the 100m backstroke (S2) on Thursday,  clocked 1min 4.43sec to touch the wall first, ahead of Italy's Angela Procida (1:13.98) and Canada's Aly van Wyck-Smart (1:17.16).

Said Yip: “It feels awesome – I was (excited) leading up to it and am definitely now having won it. Being a double world champion makes me really happy.

“It’s been nine years since I had my last World Championship title, so it’s really been a bonus (to come here and win two medals)."

Yip, who has muscular dystrophy, which leads a gradual weakening of her muscles, first won a gold medal at the World Championships in 2010 in Holland, where she won the 50m freestyle (S3) event.

Since 2015, she has been reclassified as an S2 swimmer. The lower the number, the more severe the impairment. 

Explaining what it means to her to win a gold medal for Singapore, she said: “I have a lot of pride representing my country, I have been doing so for 15 years and every single time I go into the pool, it means as much as any other.

"To win here in front of my coach and support staff, those who have helped to bring me all the way to where I am today, makes me all the more prouder.”

Fellow Singapore para-swimmers Toh Wei Soong and Sophie Soon are in action on Saturday. Soon will be competing in the 100m butterfly (S13), while Toh, in his fourth event of the meet, takes part in the 100m freestyle (S7).

YIP PIN XIUSwimminglondon