William Martin Bags Gold for Australia | Men's 400m Freestyle S9 | Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

Representing Poland in lane 8 - the man who is capable of going 425, Hrehorowicz. A man who has claimed medals previously is the 2017 world champion, a man who won silver in Rio, Morlacchi of Italy. He'll go in 1. Going in lane 7, from Spain, the 2019 world champion, who is the fastest in the world this year over this distance, Garrido Brun, he will go in lane 7. This is the man who is hoping to make it three in a row. Brenden Hall goes in search of a gold in Tokyo to add to his gold from Rio and London. Australia has continued to provide some of the great swimmers, particularly in certain events. This one of those events, the men's 400 metre freestyle, one of three Australian swimmers, he'll go in 6. Barlaam will go in 3. Capable of going well faster, and he is a sprinter by trade. Do not discount him in this time, in this race. The European champion, Didier of France, capable of going significantly faster than previously, he'll go in lane 5, and then the surprise fastest qualifier from the preliminaries is a man who goes by Alexander Tuckfield. He shot to prominence. He has a youthful exuberance as he takes to the starting block. You look at this on paper, Brenden Hall is the favourite. >> He has n't been close to his best. These guys have not previously raced against each other at an international competition. Didier relatively new to the scene, plus the new Australian. >> That is key to mention, the fact that COVID-19 pandemic and recent reclassifications have prevented many of the swimmers from actually competing against one another at international competitions, even as far back as the 2017 Championships, many failed to make it because the World Championships was Postponed by a few months following the tragic earthquake that hit Mexico in 2017. Brenden Hall not getting a particularly fast start. We are expecting to see Martin an Tuckfield take an early lead. Watch out for Brenden Hall. He's smart enough to swim his own race without being drawn into little battles early on in the competition. Also Didier, 19 years old but somebody who is 100% we need to take notice of. He's deserved that. >> Martin is out pretty quickly, but, as you said, Brenden Hall is the most experienced 400m freestyle in this heat right now. There are three Australians, Tuckfield, who has a PB by 1.8 second on this morning, Martin is a better butterflier than freestyler although you wouldn't know that by looking at him right now. Barlaam is hanging in there and needs to be able to hang with the rest of the team in order to get on the medal stand. Brenden Hall is probably going to hang back and he'll be very controlled. With his experience he knows how to swim this race so he just has to make sure that he keeps everyone within striking distance because he's a single-leg amputee, he won't have the kit to bring it home so he need to establish himself and make sure the others don't get too far ahead. >> Brenden Hall is somebody who is going to have the favourite tag attached to him based on his previous events. This event sees at least five swimmers very much in contention for the gold. Hrehorowicz of Poland going in lane 8 was the first to drop off the pace. It's a little surprising to see the 2017 world champion, lagging behind as we approach the 200 mark. >> The 200, going into the turn, you see Didier and flkiin, Martin had the better y en extdi ongver Didier who has weakness in his leg. The turns will be hard for him. Martin has an even stroke and seems to extend it. Hall fighting off Barlaam just for the fourth place position. Tuckfield, as the youngster here, needs to make sure he doesn't get too excited. He also needs to not let Martin and Didier get too far ahead if he wants to get on the stand. >> It seems as if somebody's had a word and thought, look, you absolutely went out almost cowboy style in the morning and it's a little more reserved and composed in the pool right now. So far, the three Australians are not far off one another, effectively a body leg separating the three of them. Barlaam is more of a sprinter, he's lagging a little behind now. And the only swimmer who is not from Australia who is putting himself into medal contention genuinely is Didier, the French swimmer. >> Here in the last 100, you see Will Martin. Didier has a faster stroke. Tuckfield appears to be fighting off Brenden Hall for the bronze position. >> Hall, what does experience bring him in this race? Barlaam is out of it now, certainly. Three Australians and a Frenchman contesting for the three medals in this. Brendan Hall, the 2-time defending champion, the world record Holder finds himself off the pace and is looking physically in the best shape of his life. But I wonder if he has something in the last 50. It's a remarkable swim from Will Martin at the moment who led from the very start and he's just ahead of the world record pace as well. Is Will Martin going to cause a surprise going in from lane 6? The 20-year-old Australian looking to claim his first ever medal, it's going to be gold and just outside world record time, Paralympic record touches ahead of Didier of France who takes the silver and in bronze medal position, Alexander Tuckfield as Hall misses out on the medals. The on-paper favourite. But what a swim from the 20-year-old, the man who is expected to do something in the years ahead. How he's come on to the scene here, what a way to win your first medal! Smash the Paralympic record, claim a gold! >> There are some interesting reactions. Didier delighted with his medal, no doubt. But Will Martin, what a race. Tuckfield bronze medallist absolutely nothing wrong with his race. A little more measured in the way he went out, maybe extended too much energy in going out so quickly in his preliminaries. In para swimming, you swim the heat or preliminaries for your race on the same day you swim the final. This is a testing, punishing event. >> Martin goes out fast. Look at his under water, he's clearly the best under water swimmer of anyone in this field. He uses his legs to extend the lead, a very even stroke. He's a butterflier by trade. Every time he comes in, he has to extend, he's coming into the wall very smooth. He had a phenomenal swim. 4:10 is an excellent time for him. You see Didier trying to come on strong at the end. He sprinted the last 50 the best he could but he couldn't touch Will Martin coming off of the walls. >> Will Martin, that was a sensational swim from the youthful Australian, he's proved he can do that. That was Didier. Silver medallist but what a swim from Will Martin. He's a cricket fan, like many Australians, and you would say that he's smashed this race for six! He's taken gold. Ark remarkably in the men's