Scott Field, South Africa’s visually impaired swimmer, won his second silver medal of the Athens Paralympics when he finished a strong second in the men’s 400m freestyle at the Aquatic Centre on Monday evening.
Field — who won silver in the 100m butterfly on Sunday night, adding to the world-record gold medals won by Natalie du Toit (100m butterfly) and Fanie Lombaard (shot put) — swam four minutes and 30,19 seconds against the 4:28,84 that earned Walter Wu of Canada the gold medal.
South Africa’s Charl Bouwer finished eigth in 4:49,39.
During the morning heats, South African sensation leg-amputee Natalie du Toit swam a Paralympic record one minute and 2,92 seconds in the women’s 100m freestyle to go through to the final as the favourite for her second gold medal later on Monday night.
Du Toit’s time was 0,12 seconds off the world record she set in Barcelona in 2003.
In other Paralympic action, Hubbard Adrian and Victor Joppie went down 2-0 to Herbert Baumgartner/Martin Legner of Austria in wheelchair tennis. — Sapa