Jess Johnstone smashes two Dame Sophie Pascoe national records
Rising star Jessica Johnstone claimed a brilliant bronze medal in the multi-class Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB9 at the Para Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Walnut, California to erase two New Zealand records previously held by Paralympian #166 Dame Sophie Pascoe PLY DNZM.
Johnstone, 16, produced a sensational final to claim the podium in 1:17.29, taking 0.24 seconds off Pascoe’s previous national record, set in 2013. The St Peter’s School student also set a New Zealand open record in the 50m Breaststroke SB9, clocking a split of 35.85 in the same race to surpass Pascoe’s previous mark for the distance. Johnstone’s time was the fastest in the world this year in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB9.
Elsewhere, Paralympian #237 Gabriella Smith, the 2025 World Championships silver medallist in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB9, also impressed in her pet event to place seventh in the multi-class A final, clocking 1:20.02. This mark ranks Smith as the third fastest in the world this year in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB9.
Rylee Sayer set a personal best time in the Women’s 100m Freestyle. The Hamilton Aquatics S7 swimmer had a disrupted meet because of illness but bounced back to place seventh in the B final of the women’s multi-class 100m butterfly and fifth in the C final of the 50m freestyle.
Wharenui swimmer Brooke Anderson, the other Kiwi in action, set personal bests in four of her five swims
Kiwi trio make three A Finals at Paracanoe worlds
Paralympian #231 Peter Cowan and Finn Murphy led the New Zealand challenge at the 2026 ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships in Poznan, Poland (Aug 26-31 NZT) by placing sixth in the A Final of their respective events.
Cowan, the Paris 2024 Men’s 200m VL3 bronze medallist, claimed an impressive win in his heat to earn direct passage to the 200m VL3 final. In the medal race he clocked 47.69 for sixth as China’s Yi Pu grabbed gold in 46.48 – 0.28 clear of Ukraine’s Paralympic champion Vladyslav Yepifanov in silver. Great Britain’s Stuart Wood took bronze in 46.95.
Murphy improved on his ninth-place finish at the 2025 World Championships to take sixth in the Men’s 200m KL3 final in Poznan. Murphy placed second in his heat and third in the semifinal to compete in the medal race. The Auckland-based paddler executed a good race in the final to stop the clock in 41.45. Serhii Yemelianov of Georgia claimed gold in 39.82 ahead of the Brazilian duo Gabriel Paixao Porto (39.91) and Miquelas Elias Rodrigues (40.68), who took the minor medals.
The third Kiwi in action in Poznan, Paralympian #198 Scott Martlew PLY, won his heat of the Men’s 200m KL2 and placed third in his semifinal before finishing ninth in the final, posting 45.21. Gold was secured by Australia’s Curtis McGrath in 42.76. Brazilian Fernando Rufino De Paulo finished just 0.03 behind for silver.
Britz makes last eight in global event
Paralympian #230 Matthew Britz advanced to the quarter-finals in the Men’s Singles Class 7 event at the ITTF World Para Challenge event in Spokane, USA (6-7 August). He was undefeated through a successful group stage, winning all three games. In his quarter final with Ireland’s Patrick Vaughan he led by two games to nil only for Vaughan to claim a 3-2 win.
Wheel Blacks Wrap up World Champs campaign
The Wheel Blacks finished 12th at the 2026 World Wheelchair rugby Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil. New Zealand were unable to notch a pool victory but were unfortunate to suffer narrow defeats to the Netherlands (44-40) and Brazil (40-38). The Wheel Blacks then suffered a heartbreaking 44-42 loss to Germany in extra-time in their crossover match. Their campaign was concluded with a 53-37 defeat to Brazil in the 11th/12th place play-off.
