Ellie Simmonds

Ellie Simmonds OBE is one of the most recognised athletes in the para-swimming team as a result of her incredible performances and her tearful celebrations across three Paralympic Games.

The youngest member of the British team at Beijing 2008, Simmonds won the 100m freestyle S6 before breaking her own world record by more than seven seconds for a second title in the 400m freestyle S6. She then won five European golds in 2009, four World Championship titles in 2010 and added another two European golds (both in world records) in 2011.

At London 2012 she held her nerve under the pressure of public expectation and a fierce rivalry with American Victoria Arlen to secure 400m freestyle S6 and 200m individual medley SM6 golds as well as 100m freestyle S6 silver and 50m freestyle S6 bronze medals.

Following London 2012 she has continued her medal-winning form, picking up three gold medals at both the 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships in Montreal and at her third IPC Swimming European Championships in Eindhoven in 2014. At the latter event she lowered her 200m individual medley SM6 world record and claimed her first international 100m breaststroke SB6 title.

Moving to Manchester to train at the NPC, Simmonds continued her ever impressive performances into 2015 with four medals at the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, one of which was gold in the 200m individual medley SM6. A silver and two bronze medals were also Simmonds’ for the taking.

Ellie claimed gold at her third Games at Rio 2016, taking the Paralympic title in the 200m individual medley SM6. She became the first S6 swimmer to dip below the three minute mark, with a time of 2:59.81. She also won bronze in the women’s 400m freestyle S6, losing the title that she won in Beijing and London to Ukraine’s Yelyzaveta Mereshko.

She also competed in the 50m freestyle S6, ranking 6th, and she finished 4th in the 100m breaststroke SM6.

Following Rio 2016, Ellie took some time away from the pool and returned to competition in December 2017. By 2019 she was back to winning medals again taking bronze in both the S6 100m breaststroke and S6 400m freestyle finals at the World Para Swimming Championships in London.

In recognition of Ellie’s achievements across three Paralympic Games, she was chosen by ParalympicsGB to be the flagbearer for the Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony alongside archer John Stubbs.

Ellie narrowly missed out on a place on the podium at Tokyo, twice finishing fifth as well as fourth in the SB6 100m breaststroke final, in what she later confirmed would be her fourth and final Paralympic Games.

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

• 100m breaststroke SB6: 4th
• 200m individual medley SM6: 5th
• 400m freestyle S6: 5th

Rio 2016 Paralympic Games

• 200m individual medley SM6: Gold
• 400m freestyle S6: Bronze
• 100m freestyle S6: 5th
• 100m breaststroke SB6: 4th
• 50m freestlyle S6: 6th

London 2012 Paralympic Games

• 200m individual medley SM6: Gold
• 400m freestyle S6: Gold
• 100m freestyle S6: Silver
• 50m freestyle S6: Bronze

Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games

• 400m freestyle S6: Gold
• 100m freestyle S6: Gold
• 50m freestyle S6: 5th
• 50m butterfly S6: 8th
• 200m individual medley SM6: 5th

London 2019 World Para Swimming Championships

• 100m breaststroke S6: bronze
• 200m individual medley S6: 4th
• 400m freestyle S6: bronze

Glasgow 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships

• 50m freestyle S6: 5th
• 100m freestyle S6: 4th
• 100m breaststroke SB6: bronze
• 200m individual medley SM6: gold
• 400m freestyle S6: silver
• 4x100m freestyle relay (34pts): bronze

Montreal 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships

• 50m freestyle S6: bronze
• 100m freestyle S6: gold
• 100m backstroke S6: 4th
• 100m breaststroke SB6: 4th
• 200m individual medley SM6: gold
• 400m freestyle S6: gold

Eindhoven 2010 IPC Swimming World Championships

• 50m freestyle S6: gold
• 100m freestyle S6: gold
• 200m individual medley SM6: gold
• 400m freestyle S6: gold
• 4x50m medley relay (20pts): gold
• 4x100m medley relay (34pts): silver

Durban 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships

• 50m freestyle S6: 7th
• 50m butterfly S6: 8th
• 100m freestyle S6: 7th
• 400m freestyle S6: 5th