Ellie Simmonds smashes world record to claim 400m freestyle gold in thrilling clash

• Simmonds smashed old record by five seconds to defend her Paralympics title in a time of 5:19.17
• The 17-year-old powered past U.S. swimmer Victoria Arlen with blistering surge in the closing stages of the race
• Ecstatic and emotional Ellie said: 'I just went out there and gave it my all.'
• Oscar Pistorius clocked a world record 21.30 seconds to win his heat of the T44 200m on his return to London and Paralympic competition tonight
• Great Britain now third on Paralympic medal table with nine golds, 16 silvers, and 11 bronzes

Swimming sensation Ellie Simmonds smashed the world record to defended her 400m freestyle Paralympics title in a thrilling clash with U.S. rival Victoria Arlen.
The double-gold winner from Beijing four years ago wept as she realised she had powered to victory in a time of 5:19.17 - roared on by the jubilant crowd at the aquatics centre.
Ellie, 17, made her decisive move for glory in the closing stages of the race, having trailed Arlen for more than 300 metres.

Jubilation: Ellie Simmonds celebrates smashing a world record to win gold in the women's 400m Freestyle S6 final swimming competition at the Aquatics Center

Triumph: Ellie Simmonds waves to the crowd which had packed into the aquatics centre to cheer her to a thrilling victory

Simmonds struggled to keep her emotions in check as she came to terms with her achievement.
'I need to sort myself out because I don't want to cry again,' she told Channel 4. 'I just went out there and gave it my all.
'I'm exhausted but I can't wait to see my coach (Billy Pye).
'I'm exhausted. I can't believe I did it.
'It was so tough. I saw her (Arlen) on the last 100 and I was like, 'I'm going to have to put my head down' and I thought, "I'm going to do it for for everyone who's supported me".'
She added: 'I knew that she was on it tonight, I knew I had to go there and give it everything, but 5.19 - my coach said it was going to be won in a 5.19 but I didn't believe him.
'I just put my head down and gave it everything. I was exhausted but I just put my head down and went for it.
'Everyone was wishing me good luck which was so nice. I did it for myself, I did it for my family.'

Pride and joy: A beaming Ellie Simmonds receives the cheers from the crowd after collecting her gold medal for the women's 400-meter freestyle S6

Glory: Ellie Simmonds, right, celebrates her victory alongside Victoria Arlen of the United States who pushed her all the way in a thrilling 400 freestyle final

With the medley still to come, she added: 'I'm on form. I've just done a six-second PB so everything's going really well so I'm just going to go back, enjoy this moment, enjoy my medal and my presentation. I'm excited.'
But she did not have an easy route to the top of the podium.
Arlen - who was equally dominant in her heat earlier today, logging a time just half a second behind Simmonds - had carved out a commanding lead by half distance.
But with 75 metres to go, Ellie surged into the lead with a sensational burst of speed.
Hitting the last turn just 0.08seconds in front, Ellie never looked like running out of steam, steadily drawing clear.
She finally touched the wall more than a second ahead of Arlen, who finished in 5:20.18.
Both swimmers had earlier today set up a thrilling head-to-head clash having dominated their heats.

Favourites: Ellie Simmonds and Victoria Arlen went head-to-head in the 400m freestyle final (S6)

Red, white and blue: Ellie Simmonds in action in her heat this morning

Close behind: American Victoria Arlen won her heat just half a second slower than Simmonds

Rivalry: British swimmer Ellie Simmonds (left) looks set to take on Victoria Arlen (right) after the American competitor was reinstated in her category following an appeal

But Arlen, 17, only made the final following a last minute reprieve granted her permission to take part in the S6 category.

The former world record holder was originally ruled ‘ineligible’ because her impairment was not deemed severe enough.

Arlen appealed the decision by the International Paralympic Committee's on Monday - and won.

Arlen was paralysed in 2006 by a virus which affected her spinal cord and left her in a vegetative state for two years.
Simmonds became as the darling of the pool at Beijing in 2008, when she won golds in the 100m and 400m freestyle at the age of just 13.
Now 17, Simmonds, who has dwarfism, has defended one of those titles against Arlen, who broke both of her world records at the U.S. trials in June.

Champion: Ellie Simmonds, Britain's youngest ever gold medallist, in action in the pool. She is hoping to defend the two medals she won in Beijing in 2008, when she was just 13

World-beater: Ellie Simmonds, who has dwarfism, won golds in the 100m and 400m freestyle in Beijing

Before the Games, Simmonds named Arlen as her greatest rival, telling the BBC: ‘It’s given me a bit of a buzz really, a bit of determination.

‘I’m a very competitive person and being behind the blocks, knowing that she is the world record holder and that I have to beat her, is really exciting.’

Simmonds is competing for four medals, in the 50m, 100m and 400m freestyle and the 200m individual medley.

And the pressure is on – following her double gold in Beijing, she was named the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year, and became the youngest person ever to be awarded the MBE.
Speaking about this year’s Games, she said: ‘Four years ago it was all new for me.
'Now I know coming into the Games what a Paralympics is like, how big an event it is.
'It’s definitely going to be a big event being at a home Games.
'It’s exciting, but it’s quite scary.’
Ellie's victory was not the only home medal in the pool today.
Moments before she took to the water Team GB's Matt Whorwood won bronze in the men's 400m Freestyle S6. Gold went to Ireland's Darragh McDonald and silver to Anders Olsson of Sweden.
Simmonds' remarkable victory capped a memorable Super Saturday for ParalympicsGB which left Britain in their targeted position of second in the table with a 34-medal haul.

Showdown: Ellie Simmonds, pictured with her coach Billy Pye (left), has named Victoria Arlen (right) as her greatest rival. Arlen broke both of the British swimmer's world records at the US trials in June

The tally includes nine golds, 16 silvers and 11 bronze medals.
Earlier in the day, Richard Whitehead sent the Olympic Stadium into a frenzy as he powered back from way down the field to take gold in the T24 200m in world record time.
Whitehead, 36, from Nottingham, dedicated the win to his family, including pregnant fiancee Valerie Davies.
'It's all about guts and determination,' said Whitehead, a double amputee from birth, who has the words 'cometh the hour cometh the man' tattooed on his arm.
'Today I came, I saw, I conquered.
'That was what the two-gun salute was all about - in honour of my hero Chris Hoy.'
Seconds after the win, Valerie tweeted: 'Love u baby. At finish line! We are all so proud of u! Love val, bump, mum & dad!!! £proudmoment.'

Double gun salute: Richard Whitehead celebrates winning gold in the Men's 200m T42 final

Golden couple Sarah and Barney Storey both won golds in their respective events in the Velodrome.
Former swimmer Storey had the crowd roaring from the start as she won her second gold of the Games in the C4/5 500m time-trial.
And husband Barney picked up gold as a pilot when he guided Neil Fachie to victory in the tandem one-kilometre time-trial.
Sarah's win came two days after she landed gold in the C5 three-kilometre individual pursuit.
Speaking after today's win, she paid tribute to the 'amazing' Velodrome crowd, saying: 'It's just incredible. If you move, everyone cheers. It feels like your own family has grown by 6,000 people. It was amazing.
'It's an incredible venue and I feel so lucky to have won in front of these fans.'
Natasha Baker became the first to win a gold medal in the equestrian event at Greenwich Park.

Glory: Great Britain's Natasha Baker celebrates with her gold medal after winning the Dressage Individual Championship Test Grade II at Greenwich Park, London

Baker, 22, from Uxbridge in Middlesex, contracted transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spine which affects the nerve endings, at 14 months.
The 22-year-old fought back emotion as she triumphed in the Grade II individual championship on her Games debut.
There was huge disappointment in the dressage for Lee Pearson, who has arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, after he narrowly missed out on his 10th gold medal in a stellar career.
Australian Joann Formosa, 13 years Pearson's senior, beat him to the gold medal in the dressage Grade Ib individual championship.
In the Olympic Stadium, Gemma Prescott, 28, won bronze in the F32 club throw, with Rob Womack, 41, matching the feat in the shot put.
Jody Cundy bounced back from disappointment in his favoured event to claim bronze in the men's C4 4km individual pursuit.
Yesterday, he was forced to apologise after launching a foul-mouthed tirade after being refused a re-start in the one-kilometre time-trial.
Jon-Allan Butterworth matched his silver from yesterday by coming second in the men's C5 four-kilometres individual pursuit.
Meanwhile, Oscar Pistorius told his doubters to 'look at the clock' after running a world record on his return to London and Paralympic competition tonight.

Superstar: South Africa's Oscar Pistorius celebrates winning and setting in a new world record in his Men's 200 metre T44 heat during the London 2012 Paralympic Game

The South African, who last month became the first amputee sprinter to compete in an Olympics, clocked 21.30 seconds to win his heat of the T44 200m with effortless ease.
His crossover into non-disabled competition has made the Blade Runner a Paralympic icon and he received a huge ovation from the capacity crowd at the Olympic Stadium.
His time was a personal best and Pistorius admitted it took him by surprise.
'I couldn't have hoped for a better return here,' he said.

Lightning quick: Oscar Pistorius of South Africa powers down the track to win and set in a new world record in his Men's 200 metre T44 heat during the London 2012 Paralympic Games

'I didn't expect to run a time like this tonight. I've run my fastest time and I eased off about 20 metres from the end because I knew I was comfortable and I wanted to conserve energy for (the final) tomorrow.
'Everybody was saying, 'how can you peak for both (the Olympics and Paralympics)?'
'I've proved everybody wrong tonight, running a world record. If there were people that doubted by goals then go and look at the clock, it says 21.30.'

Tomorrow sees the finals in the rowing at Eton Dorney, where former Army captain Nick Beighton goes for gold in the TA mixed double sculls.