# Swimming at the 2002 Commonwealth Games – Women's EAD 50 metre freestyle

The Women's EAD 50 metre freestyle event at the 2002 Commonwealth Games was held on 31 July at the Manchester Aquatics Centre.

## Classification

The events were run on a multi-disability format, which included both physically disabled and visually impaired swimmers i.e. the International Paralympic Committee’s Swimming Classification S1 – S13.
* Classes S1 – S10 are allocated to swimmers with a physical disability ranging from swimmers with a severe disability (S1) to those with a minimal disability (S10).
* Classes S11 – S13 are allocated to swimmers with a visual impairment ranging from swimmers with no vision or may have light perception (S11) to those with some visual acuity (S13).

## Format

All classes, 1 through 13 swan together in 3 heats and a final event. Positions were determined by each athlete’s time relative to the current world record for the appropriate classification of the swimmer. This may have meant that the swimmer touching first may not have been the winner.
World records were time standardised to identify both the finalists and medal winners throughout the competition. This meant that the same ‘time marker’ was used in the heats and the final irrespective of whether the world record had been broken during the course of competition.

## Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world records were as follows;
| Class | Name | Time | Location | Date |
| S1 | Danielle Watts (ENG) | 1:34.24 | Sheffield, England | 7 June 2002 |
| S2 | Victoria Broadribb (ENG) | 1:15.46 | Sydney, Australia | 27 October 2000 |
| S3 | Jana Hoffmanová (CZE) | 59.92 | Sydney, Australia | 27 October 2000 |
| S4 | Mayumi Narita (JPN) | 39.23 | Sydney, Australia | 27 October 2000 |
| S5 | Béatrice Hess (FRA) | 36.85 | Sydney, Australia | 27 October 2000 |
| S6 | Doramitzi González (MEX) | 36.02 | Sydney, Australia | 28 October 2000 |
| S7 | Danielle Campo (CAN) | 34.95 | Christchurch, New Zealand | 13 October 1998 |
| S8 | Keren Leibovitch (ISR) | 31.85 | Sydney, Australia | 28 October 2000 |
| S9 | | 30.74 | | |
| S10 | Jessica Sloan (CAN) | 28.44 | Sydney, Australia | 28 October 2000 |
| S11 | Eila Nilsson (SWE) | 33.02 | Atlanta, United States | 25 August 1996 |
| S12 | Hongyan Zhu (CHN) | 28.16 | Madrid, Spain | 25 July 1998 |
| S13 | Yvonne Hopf (GER) | 27.38 | Atlanta, United States | 25 August 1996 |
The following records were established during the competition:
| Date | Event | Class | Name | Nationality | Time | Result | Record |
| 31 July | Heats | S5 | Theresa Goh | Singapore | 51.05 | +14.20 | GR |
| 31 July | Heats | S7 | Danielle Campo | Canada | 35.92 | +0.97 | GR |
| 31 July | Final | S7 | Danielle Campo | Canada | 35.02 | +0.07 | GR |
| 31 July | Heats | S8 | Matia Baun Seling | Malaysia | 58.85 | +27.00 | GR |
| 31 July | Heats | S9 | Natalie du Toit | South Africa | 29.53 | -1.21 | WR |
| 31 July | Heats | S10 | Sarah Bailey | England | 31.34 | +2.90 | GR |
| 31 July | Heats | S11 | Elaine Barrett | England | 34.89 | +1.87 | GR |
| 31 July | Final | S11 | Elaine Barrett | England | 34.46 | +1.44 | GR |
| 31 July | Heats | S13 | Rhiannon Henry | Wales | 30.16 | +2.78 | GR |
| 31 July | Heats | S13 | Karolina Pelendritou | Cyprus | 29.93 | +2.55 | GR |
| 31 July | Final | S13 | Karolina Pelendritou | Cyprus | 29.88 | +2.50 | GR |

## Results
### Heats

The 8 fastest swimmers in the heats qualified for the semifinals.
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Name | Class | Nationality | Time | Result | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | 4 | Natalie du Toit | S9 | South Africa | 29.53 | -1.21 | Q, WR |
| 2 | 3 | 5 | Stéphanie Dixon | S9 | Canada | 30.69 | -0.05 | Q |
| 3 | 1 | 3 | Danielle Campo | S7 | Canada | 35.92 | +0.97 | Q, GR |
| 4 | 1 | 5 | Dianna Ley | S9 | Australia | 31.80 | +1.06 | Q |
| 5 | 3 | 6 | Elaine Barrett | S11 | England | 34.89 | +1.87 | Q, GR |
| 6 | 2 | 3 | Lara Ferguson | S9 | Scotland | 32.75 | +2.01 | Q |
| 7 | 3 | 3 | Kate Bailey | S9 | Australia | 33.13 | +2.39 | Q |
| 8 | 3 | 4 | Karolina Pelendritou | S13 | Cyprus | 29.93 | +2.55 | Q, GR |
| 9 | 2 | 4 | Rhiannon Henry | S13 | Wales | 30.16 | +2.78 | GR |
| 10 | 2 | 5 | Sarah Bailey | S10 | England | 31.34 | +2.90 | GR |
| 11 | 2 | 6 | Rhian Jones | S10 | Wales | 35.11 | +6.67 | |
| 12 | 1 | 6 | Theresa Goh | S5 | Singapore | 51.05 | +14.20 | GR |
| 13 | 3 | 2 | Catherine Timpang Siang | S9 | Malaysia | 46.87 | +16.13 | |
| 14 | 1 | 2 | Matia Baun Seling | S8 | Malaysia | 58.85 | +27.00 | GR |
| 15 | 2 | 7 | Janet Nduu | S9 | Kenya | 1:01.86 | +31.12 | |
| 16 | 2 | 2 | Jennifer Wanjiru Kamande | S9 | Kenya | 1:14.81 | +44.07 | |
| DQ | 3 | 7 | Jacqueline Khadun | S5 | Mauritius | | | |

### Final

The final was held on 31 July at 19:51.
| Rank | Lane | Name | Class | Nation | Time | Result | Notes |
| | 4 | Natalie du Toit | S9 | South Africa | 29.68 | -1.06 | |
| | 5 | Stéphanie Dixon | S9 | Canada | 30.60 | -0.14 | |
| | 3 | Danielle Campo | S7 | Canada | 35.02 | +0.07 | GR |
| 4 | 6 | Dianna Ley | S9 | Australia | 31.79 | +1.05 | |
| 5 | 2 | Elaine Barrett | S11 | England | 34.46 | +1.44 | GR |
| 6 | 7 | Lara Ferguson | S9 | Scotland | 32.75 | +2.01 | |
| 7 | 1 | Kate Bailey | S9 | Australia | 32.82 | +2.08 | |
| 8 | 8 | Karolina Pelendritou | S13 | Cyprus | 29.88 | +2.50 | GR |