Team Singapore: First Paralympic Swimming Gold Medal

Photo: Straits Times Ad (18 Sep 2008)

Congratulating Team Singapore Paralympic Achievement

Team Singapore: First Paralympic Swimming Gold Medal

Yip Pin Xiu of Team Singapore has won the nation’s first ever Paralympic gold medal in swimming on 15 September at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. This outstanding performance by swimmer Yip Pin Xiu was achieved in the finals of the 50-metre women’s backstroke event in a time of 58.75 seconds. Her amazing Paralympic gold medal-winning feat ensured that Singapore heard the Majullah Singapura for the very first time at a Paralympic and Olympic event.

Earlier in the day, 16-year-old Yip Pin Xiu had broken the world record for the Paralympic Games 50-metre women’s backstroke with a world-record time of 57.92 seconds when she came in first in her heats. Although Yip Pin Xiu did not break her world mark in the swimming finals, she did what no other Singaporean athlete had done – win a gold medal at the Paralympic Games.

This is Team Singapore’s best ever showing at the Paralympic Games. It is also the first gold medal win for Team Singapore at the Paralympic Games. Yip Pin Xiu will have her name carved into Singapore sports history with this record-breaking achievement in swimming at the Paralympic Games.

Well done, young Olympian Yip Pin Xiu from Team Singapore Women’s Swimming on your first Paralympic gold medal win!

More reading on Paralympic Games:
1. Yip Pin Xiu Wins Gold Medal in Singapore Youth Olympic Games blog