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Six-time Paralympic champion Bethany Firth has broken her own world record for the S14 100m backstroke at the Dutch National Championships in Eindhoven.
The new record of 1:04.02 bettered the previous benchmark of 1:04.05 set almost 10 years ago in the Paralympic final in Rio when Firth picked up a gold medal.
This was the targeted meet for the GB Paralympic swimming team this year and the 30-year-old's result secures her funding for next season when the World Championships will take place a year out from the LA Paralympics which are the longer term target for GB Swimming.
GB Swimming used the Dutch Nationals as the targeted meet as there had been uncertainty when and if the European Championships would be held this summer.
The IPC have allowed Russia back into competition but certain countries are not allowed to compete against Russia inside of Europe because of government policy.
GB Swimming are not restricted in this manner but because it took some while to decide whether the Europeans would go ahead in Turkey, they decided to go down a different route so their swimmers could prepare properly and so chose the Dutch Nationals as that targeted event.
As a result Firth's season will finish at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow later this month where she will defend her S14 200m freestyle gold medal.
The 100m backstroke is not part of the Commonwealth Games programme.
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The new record of 1:04.02 bettered the previous benchmark of 1:04.05 set almost 10 years ago in the Paralympic final in Rio when Firth picked up a gold medal.
This was the targeted meet for the GB Paralympic swimming team this year and the 30-year-old's result secures her funding for next season when the World Championships will take place a year out from the LA Paralympics which are the longer term target for GB Swimming.
GB Swimming used the Dutch Nationals as the targeted meet as there had been uncertainty when and if the European Championships would be held this summer.
The IPC have allowed Russia back into competition but certain countries are not allowed to compete against Russia inside of Europe because of government policy.
GB Swimming are not restricted in this manner but because it took some while to decide whether the Europeans would go ahead in Turkey, they decided to go down a different route so their swimmers could prepare properly and so chose the Dutch Nationals as that targeted event.
As a result Firth's season will finish at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow later this month where she will defend her S14 200m freestyle gold medal.
The 100m backstroke is not part of the Commonwealth Games programme.
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