COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, June 28. THIS weekend, U.S. Paralympics honored its fallen leader, Jimi Flowers, with the inaugural Jimi Flowers Swim Classic held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. During the two-day long course meter meet, a trio of American records fell.
Cheryl Angelelli cut more than a second off her American record in the women's 100 backstroke in the S4 division with a time of 2:21.89. Angelelli set the previous record with a 2:23.20 in May of this year.
Mallory Weggemann, Swimming World's reigning World Female Disabled Swimmer of the Year, smashed the women's 200 back American record in the S7 division with a time of 3:04.63. That performance cut more than three seconds off the previous standard of 3:08.02 set by Cortney Jordan in March this year.
Lantz Lamback had a similar impact on a 200 back American record of his own as he dropped a 2:51.99 in the S7 division among the men. That clocking far surpassed the 1998 mark of 2:55.13 set by Aaron Paulson.
Meanwhile, Ashley Owens finished first in the women's 5K open water event in 1:19:41.02, while Joe Wise topped the men's 5K open water race in 1:22:41.27.
On top of the in-water competition, U.S. Paralympics unveiled a special quote wall in memory of Flowers, who passed away in July 2009 after a rock climbing accident.
SwimmingWorld.TV was in attendance to capture all the pool races as well as the unveiling of "Jimi's Corner" at the Olympic Training Center. Visit the Event Landing Page to relive the weekend.
For more information on Paralympic swimming and Team USA, visit usparalympics.org.
