Welsh teenager Medi Harris cemented her rising star status by claiming a first senior medal, a bronze, in the women's 100m backstroke amid a top-class Commonwealth Games field.
The 19-year-old became British champion for the first time in April in what is a breakthrough year for the Gwynedd swimmer.
The only two swimmers to beat the Borth y Gest ace’s time of 59.62 seconds were the current and former world record holders. Kaylee McKeown of Australia took gold ahead of Canada’s Kylie Masse, with Harris certainly proving she belongs in such company by claiming bronze.
“I’m so happy with that swim, it was a really good race,” said Harris, who was second at the halfway mark before clinging onto a podium place.
“My coach and I have been trying to work on [starting strongly and maintaining speed], so hopefully, as time goes on, I will be able to improve my back half and keep up with them.
“I have only just got used to swimming heats, semis and finals so I'm really happy that I was able to get the same time as last night. I’m used to swimming in the morning and warming up to the night so I’m very happy with that.”
Harris set a new personal best of 59.24s earlier this year which would have been enough for a place in last year’s Olympic final.
However, she was beaten to the punch for Wales’ first swimming medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games by Lily Rice.
Pembrokeshire pool star Rice battled past a lingering chest infection to claim bronze in the S8 100m backstroke behind England’s world record holder and now Commonwealth champion Alice Tai.
It was an incredible feat for Rice, the first woman in Europe to land a backflip in a wheelchair and a world champion in wheelchair motocross who only returned to competitive swimming nine months ago after being inspired by the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
The 18-year-old said: “It’s crazy. I don’t know how to explain it. I’ve been quite ill over the past few weeks so to go out and medal is amazing. If I said to myself a year ago I’d be at the Commonwealths, never mind medalling, I’d have told myself to shut up. Being able to represent Wales is such a special thing about the Commonwealth Games.”
Rice revealed her transition back to the sport she excelled in as a child had gone better than she ever could have imagined with the bronze medal dangling around her neck vindicating that decision. However, the packed-out crowd at Sandwell Aquatics Centre were denied Rice’s customary celebration as she worried about slipping off the podium.
She said: “In 2017 I became the first woman in Europe to land a backflip in a wheelchair. Fast forward five years, winning a Commonwealth medal is insane. I wasn’t planning on switching sports at all but when I got back in the pool I realised this could be something I could be quite good at and I’ve proven that today.
“I wouldn’t say there’s much that’s similar apart from a tumble turn and a flip but having that experience in elite sport in the first place helped me transition into swimming better. I was scared I was going to fall backwards off the podium – that’s the closest we’re getting to a backflip on the podium!”
National Lottery players raise more than £30million a week for good causes including vital funding into sport – from grassroots to elite. Find out how your numbers make amazing happen at: www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk and get involved by using the hashtag: #TNLAthletes.
