Dominating the morning preliminary competition, the U.S. team broke two Paralympic records. U.S. team captain Erin Popovich (Fort Collins, Colo./Silverbow, Mont.) beat her previous world record with a time of 3:01.21 in the 200m IM (SM7) and Miranda Uhl (Alachua, Fla.) finished the women's 200m IM (SM6) with a time of 3:16.95.
Pleased with their morning results, the athletes are looking ahead to tonight's finals.
Garcia-Tolson
"This is a great moment. I got my best time and beat my world record. It's great being a part of Team USA and I'm looking forward to tonight's finals."
Everlove
"I was feeling ready to swim, so just went out and gave it all I could. I expected to do really well and I couldn't be happier. I'm focused on staying in first place tonight for the finals."
Popovich
"I'm feeling great. I had a good morning swim and am really excited with the way it went. Now I need to prepare for tonight and get ready... work on the little things to make it even better. This is my first swim of the Games, so it's a nice way to start."
Uhl
"The crowd was incredible. I have a lot left and hope to get a personal best tonight. My goal is to not have any regrets, go out and try my hardest and not leave anything in the pool."
Following this morning's preliminary round, 15 U.S. swimmers will advance to finals:
- 17:14 Women's 100m Butterfly (S13) - Kelley Becherer (Sheboygan, Wis)
- 17:20 Men's 100m Freestyle (S3) - Michael DeMarco (San Diego, Calif.)
- 17:42 Men's 100m Freestyle (S4) - Joe McCarthy (San Diego, Calif.)
- 17:48 Women's 100m Freestyle (S4) - Cheryl Angelelli-Kornoelje (Clinton Township, Mich.), Aimee Bruder (Birmingham, Ala.)
- 18:11 Men's 100m Freestyle (S5) - Roy Perkins (Del Mar, Calif.)
- 18:39 Women's 200m IM (SM6) - Miranda Uhl (Alachua, Fla.)
- 18:39 Men's 200m IM (SM7) - Rudy Garcia-Tolson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Bloomington, Calif.)
- 19:17 Women's 200m IM (SM7) - Erin Popovich (Fort Collins, Colo./Silverbow, Mont.), Cortney Jordan, (Henderson, Nev.), Deb Gruen (Hamden, Conn.)
- 19:47 Women's 100m Butterfly (S8) - Jessica Long (Baltimore, Md.), Amanda Everlove (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
- 20:09 Men's 100m Butterfly (S9) - Mark Barr (Davis, Calif.), Cody Bureau (Colorado Springs, Colo./Latrobe, Pa.)
MORNING RESULTS:
- MEN'S 200M FREESTYLE - S2
9th - LOVEJOY Curtis S2 5:43.52 - WOMEN'S 100M BUTTERFLY - S13
5th - BECHERER Kelley S13 1:08.91 - MEN'S 100M FREESTYLE - S3
8th - DEMARCO Michael S3 2:14.97 - MEN'S 100M FREESTYLE - S4
8th - McCARTHY Joe S4 1:40.19 - WOMEN'S 100M FREESTYLE - S4
2nd - ANGELELLI Cheryl S4 1:50.51
3rd - BRUDER Aimee S4 1:56.69 - MEN'S 100M FREESTYLE - S5
3rd - PERKINS Roy S5 1:17.86 - WOMEN'S 100M FREESTYLE - S5
12th - MORRISON Marin S5 3:10.30 - WOMEN'S 200M IND MEDLEY - SM6
1st - UHL Miranda SM6 3:16.95 (PR)
12th JOHNSON Casey SM6 3:56.80 - MEN'S 200M INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY - SM7
1st - GARCIA TOLSON Rudy SM7 USA 2:37.80 (WR) - WOMEN'S 200M IND MEDLEY - SM7
1st - POPOVICH Erin SM7 3:01.21 (PR)
2nd - JORDAN Cortney SM7 3:15.89
6th - GRUEN Deborah SM7 3:29.16 - MEN'S 100M BUTTERFLY - S8
12th - GARCIA TOLSON Rudy S8 1:12.99 - WOMEN'S 100M BUTTERFLY - S8
1st - EVERLOVE Amanda S8 1:11.64 (WR)
2nd - LONG Jessica S8 1:12.54 - MEN'S 100M BUTTERFLY - S9
5th - BUREAU Cody S9 1:02.42
8th - BARR Mark S9 1:03.94
12th - PROUT JR Michael S9 1:05.81 - WOMEN'S 100M BUTTERFLY - S9
10th - STONE Elizabeth S9 1:14.99
14th - KERLEY April S9 1:17.15
18th - STOCKWELL Melissa S9 1:22.09
PR = Paralympics Games Record - MEN'S 200M FREESTYLE - S2