Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) athletes Matthew Cowdrey (S9 classification) and Peter Leek (S8) have won the men's 100-metres backstroke and 100-metres freestyle respectively, both in world record times, collecting their sixth gold each on the final day at the IPC Swimming World Championships taking place in Eindhoven in the Netherlands from 15 to 21 August.

Cowdrey’s sixth gold for the championship, recording a world record time of 1 minutes 1.85 seconds, comes on top of individual wins in the men’s 50 and 100-metres freestyle and 200-metres individual medley.

Leek’s sixth success was achieved with a second world record for the championships, after also claiming a world record win in the men's 100-metres butterfly event. He also won gold in the 200-metres freestyle and individual medley events.

Cowdrey and Leek teamed up with Matthew Levy and Andrew Pasterfield to win the 4 x 100-metres medley relay on the final day, after winning the 4 x 100-metres freestyle in a world record time of 3 minutes 48.72 seconds. 

Head coach of the Australian Paralympic swimming team Brendan Keogh was thrilled with the team’s most successful meet since the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games.

‘This is the first time we’ve won the freestyle and medley relay double, which we have been trying to get for a very long time,’ Keogh said.  Australia finished in sixth place on the overall medal tally.

AIS Paralympic athletes made a significant contribution to Australia’s medal haul with Cowdrey, Leek, and Ellie Cole helping the team to 13 gold, 11 silver and 6 bronze. 

AIS results at the IPC World Championships:

Men:

• Matthew Cowdrey (S9): gold (50-metres and 100-metres backstroke and freestyle, 200-metre individual medley, 4 x 100 metres freestyle and medley relays) and silver (men’s 100-metres butterfly)
• Peter Leek (S8): gold (50-metres freestyle, 100-metres butterfly and freestyle, 200-metres individual medley and 4 x 100-metres freestyle and medley relays) and silver (men’s 100-metres backstroke)
• Jay Dohnt (SB6): gold (4 x 100-metres freestyle relay) and 5th (100-metres breaststroke, 200-metres individual relay)
  

Women:

• Ellie Cole (S9): bronze (200-metres individual medley and 400-metres freestyle), 4th (4 x 100-metres relay), 5th (100-metres freestyle) and 7th (4 x 100 metres medley relay) 
• Teigan Van Roosmalen (SB13): 4th (200-metres individual medley, 100-metres butterfly and 400-metres freestyle), 5th (50 and 100-metres freestyle and 100-metres freestyle) and 8th (50-metres freestyle)