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Thrashing ex-Paralympians and world record holders, Theresa brings back world champion title

On 10 Dec, Theresa Goh Rui Si returned from 2006 IPC World Swimming Championships with a World Champion title in 200M Individual Medley for SM5 category.
IPC Swimming Team

While the rest of the FESPIC (Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled) Games 2006 contingent were rejoicing over Singapore’s total medal tally of 7 gold, 5 silver and 5 bronze medals, four swimmers had already flown off to South Africa on 29 November to begin battling for Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games entry slots.

Theresa Goh Rui Si claimed a world champion title and gold medal in 200M Individual Medley for SM5 category, and narrowly missed her second gold in 100m Breaststroke for SB4 category by 0.04 seconds.

Held every four years, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Swimming Championship is the most important event in the Paralympic calendar for swimmers, outside of the Paralympic Games itself. This 2006 IPC World Swimming Championships is also a qualifying round which promises direct entry to the Beijing 2008 Paralympics Games. With a gold medal in 200m Individual Medley for S5 swimmers and a silver in 100m Breaststroke for SB4 swimemrs, Theresa Goh Rui Si is the second Singaporean who has qualified for the Beijing 2008 Paralympics, after Muhammad Firdaus Bin Nordin, who has earned his qualification with a silver medal in the IPC Athletics World Championships held in Assen, Holland, this September.

In the 200M Individual Medley for SM5 category, Theresa overtook ex-Paralympians such as Katalin Engelhardt and Diana Zambo (both from Hungary) and world-class swimmers like young Claire Warne from Great Britain to claim a gold medal and a world champion title. Although this is Singapore’s first world champion title in swimming, Theresa already holds a world record for 200M Breaststroke for SB4 category which she broke during the U.S. Paralympics in August this year.

In the 100m Breaststroke for SB4 category, Theresa was initially placed first in the preliminary rounds, but was later beaten by familiar opponent, Inbal Pezaro from Israel, by a mere 0.04 seconds.

Nonetheless, it was an especially good timing for Theresa, as she clocked a personal best below 2 minutes. Theresa and Inbal have been competing against each other frequently in various world swimming competitions since the Athens 2004 Paralympics, where Inbal won a bronze medal in the 200m Freestyle for S5 category.

Although Theresa's other three swim team mates were unable to get medals against their strong competitors, Lim Keng Joo, Yip Pin Xiu and Dr Wong Meng Ee did manage to perform at least one personal best each.

"The nation welcomes back our champions. Their outstanding performances in a major world meet such as this bear full testimony to their dedication and commitment to their sport. May they realise their ultimate goal in the 2008 Beijing Games"
- Mr Tan Ju Seng, President of the Singapore Disability Sports Council.

The team of four returned to Singapore (Changi Airport Terminal 1) on Sunday, 10 December 2006.

About 2006 IPC (International Paralympic Committee) World Swimming Championships

The IPC World Swimming Championships is held every four years, and is the most important event for swimmers on the Paralympic calendar, outside of Paralympics Games itself. This is the first time the IPC World Swimming Championships are held in South Africa. The 2006 IPC World Swimming Championships is also a qualifying round for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. More than 900 elite swimmers from over 50 countries are participating in this IPC World Swimming Championships, the biggest Paralympic event in South Africa history. It is a congregation of nothing but the best, as world record holders and ex-Paralympians gather in Durban to fight for entry slots to Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

IPC World Swimming Championship 2006
Results summary (As of 7 Dec 2006)

*PB: Personal Best

Day 1 – 2 Dec 2006
Theresa Goh Rui Si (SM5) - 200m IM (Finals: 4:06.39)
Position: 1/6
Remarks: Gold medal.

Wong Meng Ee (S12) - 100m Free (Heats: 1:10.95)
Remarks: New PB

Day 2 – 3 Dec 2006
Wong Meng Ee (S12) - 400m Free (Heats: 6:13.98)
Remarks: New PB

Day 3 – 4 Dec 2006
Theresa Goh Rui Si (S5) - 200m Free (Heats: 3:22.66)
Remarks: New PB

Day 4 – 5 Dec 2006
Theresa Goh Rui Si (SB4) - 100m Breast (Finals: 1:59.31)
Position: 2/8
Remarks: Silver medal. 0.04s off Inbal Pezaro (Gold medallist).

Lim Keng Joo (SM9) - 200m IM (Heats: 2:56.17)
Remarks: New PB

Day 5 – 6 Dec 2006
Yip Pin Xiu (S4) - 50m Back (Finals: 1:11.92)
Remarks: New PB

Day 6 – 7 Dec 2006
Wong Meng Ee (S12) - 50m Free (Heats: 30.39)
Remarks: New PB

*Classification

Because of the vast range of disabilities, classification is required to ensure fairness in competitions. For example, it is unfair for a visually-impaired (but otherwise, fully functional) person to compete against someone who can see but is unable to use both legs. Therefore, athletes are classified before they compete in their events.

In swimming, different strokes will demand different flexibility from the athlete. Hence, an athlete will have different classifications for breaststroke, freestyle and individual medley. A smaller number will mean a lower functionality.

Theresa Goh, born with spina bifida (a birth defect in which part of the spine was not formed properly), is unable to use her legs. Because of her functionality, she is classified under S5 for freestyle, SB4 for breaststroke and SM5 for individual medley.

Lim Keng Joo lost his left leg to bone cancer when he was 12. He is classified under S9 for freestyle, SB8 for breaststroke and SM9 for individual medley.

Dr Wong Meng Ee has been losing his sight ever since he was a child, and is now able to only see peripheral vision. He is classified under S12 for freestyle, SB12 for breaststroke and SM12 for individual medley.

Yip Pin Xiu suffers from muscular dystrophy, a syndrome that causes her muscles to degenerate over the years. She is currently classified under S4 for freestyle, SB3 for breaststroke and SM4 for individual medley.