Third times the charm for Rebecca Redfern after winning first Paralympic gold

Third time was the charm for Rebecca Redfern as she became Paralympic champion for the first time in the Women’s SB13 100m Breaststroke final at Paris 2024.

After winning silver in both Rio and Tokyo it was gold in Paris for the Worcester Swimming Club athlete in a result she said ‘means the world’.

The reigning world champion took the title in style, holding off the challenge of the United States of America’s Olivia Chambers to clinch the gold medal under the watchful eye of her young son Patrick.

Speaking after the race, Redfern struggled to hold back the tears saying: “It’s going to make me cry.

“This is something that we’ve worked really hard for. Two silvers in my first two Paralympics and now gold. It just means the world.

“I had no idea I’d won until I touched the wall and saw the light on that block.

“I always imagine that they’re just a little bit in front of me so I can chase them but I had no idea if I’d won until I finished.

“But it’s incredible and ParalympicsGB have done really well, especially in the pool, so we should all be really proud of ourselves.”

‘To have them here is really special’

After clocking in the fastest time in the heats this morning, attention was all on Redfern who was competing in her only individual event of the Games.

But the crowd only spurred on the 24-year-old who led the majority of the contest to touch the wall 1.68 seconds ahead of Chambers.

She had more than a seconds lead at the turn and despite Chambers giving everything, Redfern held off the challenge to take her first Paralympic gold with a time of 1:16.02.

Colleen Young made it a double podium for the USA, taking home the bronze, finishing 2.50 seconds off Redfern’s winning effort.

Breaststroke specialist Redfern said before the Games that she was using her family as her motivation to push her towards the gold and said that she couldn’t have done it without the support from those around her.

“This crowd has been amazing, they’ve really spurred me on. I couldn’t hear them but I know they were cheering.

“My family are up there with all the flags, my little boy blowing me kisses down and it just means so much.

“To have them here with me is really special. I’m probably going to cry for the next year thinking about it.

“I wouldn’t be here without them so I feel like this is really a shared gold medal.”

When asked what she thought Patrick would think of the medal she added: “He’ll probably say it’s heavy and shiny hopefully.”