Summers-Newton overcomes nerves to win gold

There is no textbook for dealing with teenage sporting stardom but Maisie Summers-Newton is as qualified as anyone to write it.

The swimmer was thrust into the spotlight as a 19-year-old just as her idol Ellie Simmonds was leaving it, making for an awkward dynamic as she won gold in Tokyo.

Now 22, she has spent the last three years stewing on the defence of her 200m individual medley title, all while becoming the face of British para swimming.

“I have a lot of self-doubt,” said Summers-Newton. “I think that’s something that has come since Tokyo, there’s a lot of pressure being Paralympic champion and then defending it. I just put so much pressure on myself.”

At least to those in the stands at La Defense Arena, Summers-Newton need not have worried.

She was behind after the butterfly and backstroke legs but that was all part of the plan as she used her breaststroke strength to surge clear and claim victory by 5.60 seconds.

“When I got in, I could see how close I was to some of the girls, they are usually ahead of me on the fly and the back,” said Summers-Newton.

“On the backstroke, I was like ‘you’re in a really good place here’. I just can’t believe it and it has been such a good three years since Tokyo.”

Summers-Newton has spent those three years building her self-worth outside of the pool: a shining example for a generation hothoused in the world of elite sport.

She has qualified as a teacher and finished her last placement at Bridgewater Primary School in March.

“That is something I really had to work hard for,” said Summers-Newton. “Swimming comes naturally but writing assignments, going into schools and teaching for eight weeks, it was tough and I made some incredible memories.

“I think it’s allowed me to have a side of me where I don’t have to think about swimming 24 hours a day.”

Summers-Newton has blossomed into the ring-leader of the British squad and is directing traffic in the seven-strong flat of female swimmers in the Paralympic Village.

“We’re all so close, my girls, and it’s the best flat ever,” said Summers-Newton. “I’ve definitely become a more senior member of the team.

“We’ve got such young athletes like Poppy (Maskill) and Iona (Winnifrith) coming up and for me, it’s about trying to inspire them and pass on as much knowledge as I can.

“It comes quite naturally to me and I’d like to think I’m quite a caring, motherly type of person.”

Maskill, Winnifrith and company could wish for no better role model when it comes to coping with pressure.

Summers-Newton has another title to defend in the 100m breaststroke but the British squad won’t benefit from her leadership indefinitely.

At some point soon, she will swap the pool for the classroom and set about changing another set of lives.

“I can hopefully get a little bit faster,” she said. “I definitely think I’ll have a rest after this Games and we’ll see what happens after that in terms of swimming, but I’m only 22 so hopefully a lot more can come.”

Elsewhere on a glittering night in the pool, Tully Kearney won her second gold of Paris 2024 and Brock Whiston won her first Paralympic medal.

The 27-year-old took silver in the SB8 100m breaststroke, her first appearance on the Games stage after issues with her eligibility ruled her out of Tokyo.

Whiston touched the wall second in a time of 1:21.04 that was well shy of her world record but also of her best performances this season.

“I’m actually really disappointed, not because I came second but my time,” she said.

“I’ve done a lot faster this season. I don’t really know what happened but I think I went out too slow and had too much work to do on the second 50 metres.

“Until I look back at the race, I don’t really know what went wrong but I’m disappointed with the time. It wasn’t the best swim but I’m happy with a silver medal.”

Whiston, who has hemiplegia, broke the world record and was crowned world champion in London back in 2019.

The Essex native has shown guts galore to make it to the Games and reach the podium.

She was edged out by 16-year-old Anastasiya Dmytriv Dmytriv, who was born in Ukraine and is representing Spain, who claimed victory by 1.29 seconds.

“I should be proud but I’m quite harsh on myself and I always want to do better,” she said.

“A lot of people still look back at the time I did in 2019 but I’m not that athlete any more, a lot has changed with my impairment. I’m disappointed with the time but I should be happy.”

Bruce Dee and Grace Harvey narrowly missed out on medals as both finished fourth in their respective SM6 men’s and women’s 200m individual medley finals.

And identical twins Scarlett and Eliza Humphrey finished sixth and eighth in the women’s S11 400m freestyle.

“The 400m free is always a battle between us as we are evenly matched,” Scarlett said. “Over the season, we share who wins between us.”