Cashmore in the swim for Beijing

10:18am Thursday 4th September 2008

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SWIMMING star Claire Cashmore begins her quest for medals at the Paralympic Games in Beijing on Sunday.

The 20-year-old from Kidderminster will be trying to improve on the two bronze medals she won in Athens four years ago in the 200m individual medley and 100m backstroke.

This time Cashmore, whose left arm is severed below the elbow, is aiming to win a medal in the 100m breaststroke, which she has been focussing on over the last few months.

Cashmore moved from the Macau training base with the Great Britain squad to the Paralympic village in Beijing at the start of the week and is ready and raring to go to.

“Training has been going well over the last few days and I think I have got over the jet lag,” said Cashmore in her blog, which is on the Shuttle/Times and News' website.

“We have just had our final team meeting before we depart.

“The team morale is fantastic. After practising cheers and watching a motivational DVD, we all feel very inspired and ready to wear our Great Britain kit with pride and show the rest of the world what we are made of.”

Cashmore will start the Paralympics on Sunday when she races in the qualifying heat of the S9 100m butterfly category.

If successful, she will be contesting the final on Monday.

On Tuesday the gifted swimmer will be hoping to set out a marker in her strongest event, the 100m breaststroke, in the heat and qualify for the final in the afternoon.

She will be racing in the 200m SM9 individual medley heat on Thursday, with the final on the same day, before competing in the qualifier of the 100m backstroke in the S9 disabled category on Saturday. CLICK HERE TO READ BLOGS.