By Tom Degun

ellie_simmonds_07-07-11July 6 - Double Paralympic champion Ellie Simmonds lowered her own world record in the women's SM6 200 metres individual medley at the International Paralympic Champion (IPC) Swimming European Championships in Berlin to claim her second gold medal of the competition on day four on the event.


Simmonds, who was crowned 400m freestyle champion earlier this week, stormed home in the final 50m to touch in a world record time of 3min 08.98sec to win her gold ahead of compatriot Natalie Jones who touched in a time of 3:11.44 for the silver medal.

"I am really happy to have got the world record in the 400m free and then to top it off with the world record tonight - I am just so happy," Simmonds said.

"I was confident tonight because I swam well in the medley at the World Cup."

Mirjam de Koning-Pepper of the Netherlands won bronze in a time of 3:17.80, while Simmonds teammate Liz Johnson took sixth in 3:24.70.

Robert_Welbourn_swimmingParalympic champion Robert Welbourn (pictured) took Britain's only other gold of the event in the men's S10 400m freestyle as he claimed victory in 4:11.18 to finish just ahead of German Lucas Ludwig who reached the wall in a time of 4:11.18 to take silver.

"It certainly was a really tough race," Welbourn said.

"I haven't done a 400 that has hurt like that in a while.

"But I can't complain about the result.

"I could see Lucas.

"It was a different race for me.

"Normally I am the one that is just behind but this time I made my mark on the race and tried to keep the lead.

"But this is what all my training has been geared towards and this is what I targeted and this is the result I wanted."

Masym Isaiev of the Ukraine won the bronze in 4:17.80.

Elsewhere, Louise Watkin won her fifth medal of the Championships on day four, collecting silver in the S9 50m freestyle as she finished behind Sarai Gascon.

Ben Procter won his second medal of the Championships, scooping S14 100m backstroke silver to go with his 200m freestyle bronze from day two in Berlin.

Procter broke his own British record en route to the podium, finishing in 1:05.43, while Rhiannon Henry won her second medal of the Championships as she claimed silver in the S13 50m freestyle behind Ukraine's Iryna Balashova.

Natalie Massey knocked nearly a second off her personal best from the heats to secure bronze in the women's S14 100m backstroke, while Claire Cashmore concluded the night's medal haul for the Britain with silver in the women's 100m breaststroke after touching just behind Russia's Olesya Vladykina in 1:20.37.

Britain's national performance director John Atkinson said: "Tonight, I have been pleased with the attitude of the team on what proved to be a tougher night for us.

"The athletes continued to work hard and pull out outstanding results.

"The biggest performance was Eleanor Simmonds who won her gold medal in a new world record and compatriot Natalie Jones giving us another gold and silver in the same race.

"Rob also became our 15th British gold medallist in the 400m freestyle which has been great for the team."

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