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

Singapore national paralympic swimmer Yip Pin Xiu clinched her second gold medal in the Para Swimming World Championships on Friday (Jun 17) at the S2 Women’s 50m Backstroke event.

She clocked in a timing of 1:03.94 to beat Italy’s Prodica Angela, who came in second place by a margin of 7.48 seconds.

This also marks Pin Xiu’s fifth world championship title. It follows her win in the Women’s 100m Backstroke S2 event last Tuesday, in which she set a new competition record. 

Pin Xiu shared: “This campaign was a tough campaign mentally, physically and emotionally, it was a bit rocky. There was this pressure from myself to defend the titles as well. 

“I think this campaign was rather successful but at the end of the day I know I want to be faster, I want better times. It’s still about getting there.”

Singapore’s other medal was won from Sophie Soon, who clinched the silver medal at the 100m SB12 Breaststroke event last Wednesday where she set a new Asian record and personal best of 1:25.89. 

It also marked Sophie’s first ever world championships medal, and Singapore’s third overall medal of the competition.

Singapore’s quartet of Colin Soon Jin Guang, Sophie Soon Jin Wen, Wong Zhi Wei and Yip Pin Xiu concluded its Madeira 2022 Para Swimming World Championships last Saturday (Jun 18) with six personal bests, two Championship Records and one Asian Record.

The new records and personal bests are: 

Yip Pin Xiu – Women’ 100m Backstroke S1-2 championship record (2:15.16); Women’s 50m Freestyle S3 championship record + personal best (1:04.68)

Sophie Soon – Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB12 Asian record and personal best (1:25.89); Women’s 100m Backstroke S12 personal best (1:28.65)

Wong Zhi Wei – Men’s 100m Butterfly S13 personal best (1:04.01); Men’s 400m Freestyle S12-13 person best (4:50.66)

Colin Soon – Men’s 100m Backstroke S12 personal best (1:12.29)