US swim star in final but doubts remain

LONDON (AFP) –

US swimmer Victoria Arlen reacts after winning the women’s 400m Freestyle – S6 swimming event heat at the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Park’s Aquatics Centre in east London. The International Paralympic Committee said that they will make a decision about Arlen before she competes in the final, amid controversy over her classification.

The International Paralympic Committee said on Saturday that they will make a decision about US swimming star Victoria Arlen before she competes in the final, amid controversy over her classification.

The 17-year-old is the current world record holder in the women’s S6 100m and 400m freestyle but the IPC declared her “non-eligible” earlier this week “because certain information was not provided” when her classification was assessed.

She was later re-instated on appeal from the US team and on Saturday morning was second-fastest in qualifying for the 400m final behind Britain’s defending champion Ellie Simmonds, who also won the 100m in Beijing.

Concerns have been raised that Arlen could be stripped of the gold medal if she were to win because of doubts about her eligibility to swim in the S6 category.

But IPC spokesman Craig Spence told a news conference: “We should have a verdict this afternoon. She will know a decision going into this evening’s finals. We want to try to resolve this as soon as possible.”

Athletes in Paralympic swimming compete according to the nature and level of their impairments.

Categories one to 10 are allocated to swimmers with a physical disability. The lower the number, the more severe the impairment. The letter indicates the stroke.

Arlen was diagnosed with the neurological disorder post-infectious transverse myelitis, which affects the spinal cord, at the age of 12 and was in a vegetative state for two years.

Simmonds, 17, was born with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism.

Arlen said she had tried not to let the controversy affect her and described the situation as “a rollercoaster”.

“But I have an incredible team USA that’s been supporting me. It comes with the sport, I’m just happy to swim and represent my country,” she added.

Simmonds swam a new Paralympic best of 5mins 24.64 secs, just 0.18secs outside Arlen’s world record, and said she was aware of the row but was powerless to do anything about it.

“At the start of the week she (Arlen) was an S6 and now she is an S6,” she added.

“It is good that now she is an S6 it is going to give me someone to race and she is going to push me to my limits and the best of my ability and I am really excited by that.”