2007 World Deaf Swimming Championships Day 5: A fantastic ending

August 17, 2007

On the final matchday, Thursday, of the 2007 World Deaf Swimming Championships, four athletes fouled at the start of finales section and were disqualified subsequently by referees. One athlete fouled in the Men's 400m Freestyle and three in the Women's 200m Backstroke.

In the Women's 200m Backstroke Final, Swedish swimmer Anna Polivanchuk started prematurely, while Belarus athlete Maryia Rudzko and Japanese athlete Rika Takagishi both started after the official start. Due to the infractions, the referees disqualified Polivanchuk, Rudzko, and Takagishi so that only four athletes participated in the final.

There was a record-breaking performance during the final day. In the Women's final 4x100 Freestyle Relay, the Russian National Team surpassed their old record with a 4 minute and 4.72 second performance. At the end of the five-day main event, the organizers held a closing ceremony for participants and VIPs. In a speech, Taipei City Mayor Lung-pin Hau acknowledged the work of the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) and thanked the members of the 23 national teams for their participation. He also suggested that "deaf culture" in Taipei will see lasting benefits from the games.

ICSD Technical Director Reed Gershwind expressed his satisfaction with the event. He suggested that the Taipei City Government will be well-suited to provide a comprehensive service to deaf athletes for the 2009 21st Summer Deaflympics. Gershwind also announced that Portugal was awarded the 2011 championship, which will be held at Lisbon University Stadium.

List of Champions of 5th Matchday

 * Results in italic text highlight a new world record performance.

Medal Statistics after 5th Matchday

 * Only listed national teams who won at least bronze medals. See External links below for full details.