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Rachael Watson

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Rachael Watson
2016 Australian Paralympic team portrait of Rachael Watson
Personal information
Full nameRachael Watson
NationalityAustralian
Born (1992-01-30) 30 January 1992 (age 32)
Sport
SportSwimming
ClassificationsS3
ClubChandler Swimming Club
Medal record
Women's paralympic swimming
Representing  Australia
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Paralympic Games 2 0 2
World Championships 0 2 2
Pan Pacific Para Championships 1 0 0
Total 3 2 1
Paralympics
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 50 m freestyle S4
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 50 m freestyle S4
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris 50 m freestyle S4
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris 100 m freestyle S3
World Para Swimming Championships
Silver medal – second place 2019 London 50 m freestyle S4
Silver medal – second place 2022 Madeira 50 m freestyle S4
Bronze medal – third place 2019 London 100 m freestyle S4
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Manchester 50 m freestyle S4
Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships
Gold medal – first place 2018 Cairns 50 m freestyle S4

Rachael Elizabeth Watson, OAM (born 30 January 1992) is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. Watson represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics winning gold in the 50m Freestyle S4,[1] a feat she repeated at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.[2] At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, she won two bronze medals.

Personal

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Watson was born on 30 January 1992. She is a triplet and has mild cerebral palsy however remained functionally independent and ambulant. In her early 20's she acquired Guillain Barre Syndrome that led to severe muscle weakness and peripheral nervous system damage resulting in quadriplegia requiring the use of a wheelchair. [3]

Swimming

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Watson took up swimming as part of her rehabilitation from Guillain Barre Syndrome.[3] The majority of competitions are held in a multi class (MC) format where each athlete swims against the world record for their classification and the swimmer with the highest point score wins the race. Watson has myopia and is unable to see the results score board at the end of the pool so remains unaware of her placing until she is told. Watson has recently been reclassified to an S3 swimmer due to her degenerative neurological condition.[4]

At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, Watson won the gold medal in the Women's 50m Freestyle S4 in a Paralympic record time of 40.13. Watson became the first swimmer classed S5 or below, to win gold for Australia this millennium.[5]

Watson qualified for the 2017 World Championships but the competition was cancelled due to a major earthquake in Mexico occurring just a fortnight prior to the event.

In 2018, Watson was chosen to volunteer at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. She could not compete as her swimming classification was not included in this competition.

At the postponed 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Watson won the gold medal in the Women's 50m freestyle S4 in a Paralympic record time of 39.36. [6]

In 2022, Watson was chosen to volunteer at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. She could not compete as her swimming classification was not included in this competition.

At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Watson won the 500th medal in swimming for Australia and was the first Olympian or Paralympian to win a medal in the 50m Freestyle at three consecutive games. Watson also won Australia's first ever medal in the S3 100m Freestyle since the Paralympics begun in 1960.

Recognition

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References

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  1. ^ "Australian Paralympic Swimming Team announced". Australian Paralympic Committee News, 1 August 2016. August 2016. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Paralympics Australia Names Powerful Para-Swimming Team For Tokyo". Paralympics Australia. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Rachael Watson". Australian Paralympic Committee. 31 July 2016. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  4. ^ "Watson Goes The Distance For Bronze | Paralympics Australia". www.paralympic.org.au. 3 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Rachael Watson". Rio Paralympics Official site. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  6. ^ "Rahael Watson". Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  7. ^ "SWIMMING AUSTRALIA GALA DINNER 2016". Swimming Australia. Archived from the original on 16 March 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  8. ^ "2016 Annual Awards winners". Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association website. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  9. ^ "Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division" (PDF). www.gg.gov.au. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 January 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  10. ^ "Rachael Watson". alumni.uq.edu.au. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
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