Northern Ireland's Bethany Firth 'so happy' after claiming Team GB world record World Para Swimming Championships gold
Northern Ireland’s Bethany Firth declared herself “so happy” after helping Team GB seal World Para Swimming Championships gold – setting a new Mixed S14 4x100m Medley world record time in the process.
It marks a third medal of the competition for the Seaforde athlete, who earlier in the week stood on the podium alongside Team GB colleagues as runner-up in a clean sweep across the S14 100m backstroke before claiming bronze in Thursday’s S14 200m individual medley.
Firth competed in a team alongside Poppy Maskill, Harry Stewart and Will Ellard, and with the Mixed S14 4x100m Medley added to the Paralympics programme for 2028, it had an added layer of intrigue.
After strong performances from her team-mates, Firth took over duties on the anchoring freestyle leg, bringing the team home in a new world record time of 4:02.86.
“I’m so happy!" said Firth on British Swimming’s website. “These guys are amazing, they’re so good to swim with and I think we’re just setting the standard for what is to come.”
Ellard added: “It’s a world record by about five seconds there – it was a really good relay. Now that it’s a Paralympic event I’m sure we’ll try at different things to keep aiming to get better and better.”
Firth was back in the pool following maternity leave having been inspired by her year-old daughter Charlotte.
"I'm the only person she can shout, 'go mummy' for in that pool,” said Firth in a prior a BBC Sport NI interview. “She won't remember but I can show her whenever she grows up and say that mummy never gave up, mummy kept going.”