Sarah Paton
Personal information
Full nameSarah Paton
National team Australia
Born (1986-10-28) 28 October 1986 (age 37)
Nowra, New South Wales
Height1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight59 kg (130 lb)
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesFreestyle
ClubTelopea Swim Club
College teamUniversity of Bath (UK)

Sarah Paton (born 28 October 1986) is an Australian former swimmer who specialized in long-distance freestyle events.[1] She is the sister of swimmer Siobhan Paton, who won six gold medals at the 2000 Summer Paralympics, and holds 13 world records in S14 category (intellectual disability). Paton is also a member of Telopea Swim Club, and is coached and trained by Mark Skimming.

Paton qualified for the women's 800-metre freestyle at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, by clearing a FINA A-standard entry time of 8:34.70 from the Olympic trials in Sydney.[2][3][4] She challenged seven other swimmers on the second heat, including former bronze medalist Jana Henke of Germany and top medal favorite Diana Munz of the United States. Paton cruised to fourth place by five seconds behind Munz in 8:35.81, but missed the final by more than a second, as she placed ninth overall in the preliminaries.[5][6]

Shortly after the Olympics, Paton finished fourth behind her teammate Melissa Gorman, but dipped under 8:30 barrier in the same distance at the FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, with a time of 8:25.38.[7]

In 2005, Paton won her first ever individual career title in the 1500 m freestyle at the Australian long course championships in Sydney, in a qualifying entry time of 16:17.20.[8] Paton's effort and triumph from the trials moved her up to third in the world rankings for the said distance. At the FINA World Championships in Montreal, Canada, Paton missed the final with a tenth-place finish in the 1500-metre freestyle, outside her entry time of 16:37.18.

In 2006, Paton moved to England to train and take up an academic scholarship with a degree in sports performance at the University of Bath.[9] She also coaches with swimmer Aaron Moores, who later won a silver medal in the 100-metre backstroke (S14) at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London.[10]

References

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Sarah Paton". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  2. ^ "Swimming – Women's 800m Freestyle Startlist (Heat 2)" (PDF). Athens 2004. Omega Timing. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  3. ^ Thomas, Stephen (2 April 2004). "Day 7 Finals, Australian Olympic Trials: Petria Thomas Finishes with a Commonwealth Record in 50 Fly; Hawke Edges Callus in the 50 Free; Linda Mackenzie Takes Freestyle Treble; and Klim Scratches from 100 Fly, Misses an Individual Swim in Athens". Swimming World Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  4. ^ Cowley, Michael (2 April 2004). "Klim sees hopes of individual spot sink". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  5. ^ "Women's 800m Freestyle Heat 2". Athens 2004. BBC Sport. 19 August 2004. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  6. ^ Thomas, Stephen (19 August 2004). "Women's 800 Freestyle Prelims, Day 6: Manaudou, #1 Qualifier, Sets French Record, 8:25.91; Munz and Keller in Finals". Swimming World Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  7. ^ "Short Course World Champs, Day 2 Finals: Japan's Yamada Takes the 800 Free". Swimming World Magazine. 8 October 2004. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  8. ^ Thomas, Stephen (14 March 2005). "Australian Championships, Day 3: Hackett Dominates 200 Free, Jones Downs Hanson in 100 Breaststroke, Rooney sets Aussie Record in 100 Backstroke". Swimming World Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  9. ^ "Aussies Engelsman and Paton Move Training Base to Bath". Swimming World Magazine. 20 September 2006. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  10. ^ Houlihan, Owen (9 June 2012). "Swimming: Dream come true for Aaron". Wiltshire Times. Retrieved 20 April 2013.

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