SCOOTER’S GLORY
GOLD FOR CAIRNS SWIMMER:
CAIRNS Paralympian Grant “Scooter” Patterson was handed his nickname by getting around on a scooter but says he is riding the “personal best train” at the Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships.
The 29-year-old has claimed three gold medals at the championships at Cairns’ Tobruk Memorial Pool, as well as one silver, and has two more opportunities to win gold today on the final day of competition. While the competition at the Pan Pacs is not as strong as what Patterson would face at the Paralympics, personal best times are what the Far North athlete and his teammates have been hunting and he has scored two already.
He shaved just over two seconds from his career best time in the 50m breaststroke and almost a second from his previous best in the 50m backstroke.
“I have been around for 11 years now and to get a personal best at my age, it is honestly like seeing a unicorn, it is that rare,” Patterson said.
“It makes me feel so good, it is the best I have swum since 2010, I think.
“It shows that all the work that I am doing in the pool with Andrew “Herbie” Howard is really paying off.
“I am always trialling different things when I swim, I can never pinpoint if they are working, but this week has been very good to me.
“Maybe it has been home-crowd advantage.”
Patterson could finish the event with five gold medals, with chances to add to his tally today in the 50m individual medley and 50m freestyle.
“Hopefully I can come home strong,” Patterson said.
“I need to keep riding the PB train.”
After three days of competition, Australia had claimed 25 gold medals, with plenty more to be won today.
“Scooter looks like he is going to win another medal or two,” Swimming Australia’s Paralympic high performance manager Adam Pine said. “As a team, the important thing is these athletes are preparing themselves for the world championships and the Paralympic Games.
“They are racing fast heats and faster finals.”
The racing continues this morning starting at 10am with finals from 5pm. the