Yip Pin Xiu clinches gold medal at Madeira 2022 Para Swimming World Championships

Singapore national paralympic swimmer Yip Pin Xiu won the gold medal in the Women’s 100m Backstroke S2 event at the Para Swimming World Championships.

Pin Xiu’s gold medal on Tuesday (Jun 14) marks Singapore’s first at the championships, which is held in Madeira, Portugal. It commenced last Sunday (Jun 12).

The five-time Paralympic gold medalist also set a new competition record of 2:15.16, which surpassed her previous timing of 2:18.61 at the 2019 World Para Swimming Allianz Championships and her timing of 2:16.61 at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

This is also Pin Xiu’s fourth world championship title, with her first in 2010 where she won the gold medal in the Women’s 50m Freestyle S3 event at the world championships (formerly known as the 2010 IPC Swimming World Championships).

Her second and third world championship titles both came from the 2019 World Para Swimming Allianz Championships, where she won the gold medal in the Women’s 100m Backstroke S2 and the 50m Backstroke S2 events.

Apart from Yip Pin Xiu, Singapore is also represented by three other para-athletes – Colin Soon Jin Guang, Sophie Soon Jin Wen and Wong Zhi Wei – who will all collectively compete in 11 race events.

The Madeira 2022 Para Swimming World Championships will run till Saturday (Jun 18), and will next feature Colin competing in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke SB12, Sophie in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB12 and Pin Xiu in the Women’s 50m Freestyle S3.