Montreal 2013 - Day four review

Australia and Great Britain have become the men's and women's world relay champions after an absolutely gripping conclusion to day 4 of Montreal 2013.

Great Britain's Claire Cashmore and Amy Marren managed to claw back into first place (4:27.95) having been behind to Canada for the first 200m. Jessica Long did her best for team USA alongside team mates Cortney Jordan, Elizabeth Smith and Anna Johannes to finish in third.

In the men's race, Australia put in a stunning performance to win in 3:51.14, ahead of Brazil and Russia. Brazil led for the first 200m, but thanks to fast lengths by Matthew Cowdrey and Matthew Levy managed to touch in first to retain their title from the last championships in Eindhoven in 2010, just 0.50 seconds ahead of Brazil.

Earlier in the evening in the individual events, Canada's Benoit Huot became the world champion in the men's 200m individual medley SM10 for the fourth time. Brasil's Andre Brasil took an early lead and stayed there until the last 50m when Huot's freestyle kicked in for him to take the lead to the end, winning his favourite event in 2:10.71, just outside his own world record of 2:10.01. Brasil touched the wall in silver and American Ian Silverman in bronze. Sven Descaesstecker sets a new European record of 2:15.03.

The women's race was equally as thrilling, with Russia's Nina Ryabova winning gold in a European record time of 2:30.71. There was an exciting race to the wall for silver and bronze, resulting in a dead heat between 17 year-old Canadian Aurelie Rivard and Aussie Katherine Downie. Both athletes were awarded silver.

Valerie Grand'Maison picked up her second gold of the championships in an incredibly close women's 50m freestyle S13 sprint (27.96). Russian Anna Krivshina touched the wall just 0.04 seconds behind Grand'Maison for second place and German Elena Krawzow finished in third.

Young New Zealander Mary Fisher is having a brilliant world championships so far and it did not stop this evening in the women's 100m freestyle S11, where she won her third gold in as many days (1:09.61), this time breaking a Oceania record. She beat Germany's Daniela Schulte into silver and China's Guizhi Li into bronze.

The three fastest qualifiers from the morning converted their performances into medals in the women's 100m backstroke SB8. Russian Olesya Vladykina becomes world champion in this event for the first time, her best effort being bronze at London 2012, and adding to her growing collection of titles. Claire Cashmore kicked in for silver for Great Britain and Ireland's Ellen Keane in bronze.

Jonathan Fox won Great Britain's first gold of the evening in the men's 100m backstroke S7 (1:09.66), retaining his world title from Eindhoven. Russian Andrey Gladkov touched the wall for silver and Ukrainian Yevheniy Bohodayko wins his fourth medal of the championships with bronze.

Sascha Kindred and Eleanor Simmonds did the double in the men's and women's 200m individual medley SM6.

Simmonds shaved nearly one second off her own world record (3:04.41) to beat German Verena Schott and Ukrainian Oksana Khrul.

Three time world champ Kindred eased to gold in 2:41.82 ahead of Brazil's Talisson Glock and China's Qing Xu.

Germany's Kristen Bruhn won her third 100m backstroke S7 world title (1:23.99), followed by USA's flag bearer at the championships, Cortney Jordan and another Canadian medal was won by Sarah Mehain.

In the men's 200m individual medley SM5, two time world champion in the event Brazil's Daniel Dias stormed to gold in 2:50.02. The race for silver and bronze was again tight, but Brit Andrew Mullen touched in just ahead of Greece's Antonios Tsapatakis.

It was then the turn of the Ukrainians to take centre stage. World champion Andriy Kalyna opened his countries' medals tally for the evening with gold in the 100m breaststroke SB8, followed by Andreas Onea with Austria's first medal of the championships in silver and Poland's Krysztof Paterka collecting bronze.

Olga Sviderska set a new European record in 57.97 to win gold in the women's 50m backstroke ahead of Singaporean Pin Xiu Yip. Zulfiya Gabidullina of Kazakstan won her second medal of the championships in bronze medal position. In the men's event Sviderska's team mate Dmytro Vynohradets also won gold (50.95), ahead of Spain's Ma T. Martinez and Swede Mikael Frederiksson in silver and bronze respectively.

Iarsoslav Denysenko won his first gold of the championships (24.04 seconds) in the men's 50m freestyle S3, sneaking ahead of South African Charles Bouwer and Oleksii Fedyna, also of the Ukraine.

Maksym Veraksa won Ukraine's fourth gold in a row in the men's 50m freestyle S12 (23.36 seconds), ahead of Russia's Aleksandr Nevolin-Svetov and American Tucker Dupree in silver and bronze respectively.

The Ukrainian run of form was only broken by Russian Darya Stukolova of Russia in the women's 50m freestyle S12 (27.58 seconds). Great Britain's Hannah Russell narrowly missed out on gold with Spain's Deborah Font in bronze.

Sarah Louise Rung triumphed in the women's 200m individual medley SM5 (3:20.44), well ahead of silver medallist Belarusian Natalia Shavel who repeats her performance from Eindhoven 2010 and Brazil's Joana Maria Silva.

Israel's Itazhak Mamistvalov let out a huge cry of delight after winning the men's 100m freestyle S1 (2:23.71) for their first medal of the championships. Ukraine picked up silver and bronze with Hennadii Boiko and Anton Kol.

Slovenian Darko Duric took the world crown from France's David Smetanine in the men's 100m freestyle S4 (1:27.27), ahead of Ukraine's Eskender Mustafaiev and Mexican Gustavo Sanchez Martinez.

Reigning world champion Mexican Nely Miranda Herrera stormed to gold in the women's 100m freestyle S4 (1:34.65) with a new America's record. Lisette Teunissen of the Netherlands picked up her first silver medal of the championship ahead of Italian Trimi Arjola.

Japan's Keichii Kimura became world champion in the men's 100m freestyle, having already claimed the short course title in 2009. South African Hendri Herbst added to his medal collection with a silver, with Brazil's Mattheus Sousa touching in for bronze.

For more information contact: craig.spence@paralympic.org

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