Summers-Newton 'would love' to compete at LA 2028

Paralympic swimming champion Maisie Summers-Newton has said she "would love" to defend her titles at the next Games in 2028.

Summers-Newton, 22, from Wollaston, Northamptonshire, won two gold medals and a bronze for ParalympicsGB at the Paris 2024.

She had won a double Paralympic gold three years ago in Japan and has not ruled out a third Games appearance in Los Angeles in four years.

"It's four years away," she said. "For now, focus, rest, recover and enjoy my time and we'll see where it goes."

Summers-Newton, 22, who trains with Northampton Swimming Club, revealed she had "never felt as much pressure" in the build-up to her Paralympics title defences in the 100m breaststroke SB6 and 200m individual medley SM6 events.

She won bronze in the 400m freestyle S6 competition.

She said: "As soon as Tokyo was over the next goal was to defend my titles. I knew I was in a good place but you never quite know what the other girls are going to do."

Summers-Newton trained eight times per week in the build-up to the Paralympics for between two and three hours at a time and twice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as gym work and other training sessions.

"Swimming is really brutal sometimes," she said. "[But] when you you have teammates it makes it all worthwhile."

Away from the pool, she recently became a qualified primary school teacher and said she was enjoying some time away from the sport "chilling out, eating nice food and being a bit more like a normal person".

Northampton Swimming Club was also represented at the Paris Paralympics by 17-year-old Bruce Dee, who reached two finals and twin sisters Scarlett and Eliza Humphrey.

Andy Sharp, a coach at the club, was also part of the coaching team in Paris and said the event had an "amazing team atmosphere".

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