Swimming: Injury can't keep Leslie out of gold

Takayuki Suzuki of Japan, silver, Cameron Leslie, gold, and Jonas Larsen of Denmark, bronze.

Despite a shoulder injury Northland swimmer Cameron Leslie has blown his fellow competitors out of the water at the International Paralympic Committee World Long Course Swimming Championships in Canada.

On Sunday, Leslie won 150m Individual Medley SM4 with a time of 2m 34.97s, convincingly beating Takayuki Suzuki (Japan) and Jonas Larsen (Denmark) to gold by almost six seconds.

Last week he also took bronze in the 50m backstroke, despite being unsure of carrying out that leg in the medley.

"The shoulder held out thankfully, considering a few days before flying out it was up in the air as to whether or not I'd even be able to race," Leslie said.

He injured his right shoulder weeks out from his departure, after slipping on cobble stones in Wellington. "Unfortunately that meant I wasn't able to keep up the work needed so lost a bit of fitness and strength," he said.

Leslie won gold in the 150m medley at the London and Beijing paralympics and is the world record holder with a time of 2m 25.98s, which is nearly 10 seconds faster than his time in Montreal.

"The shoulder is the main reason why the time isn't flash. It was hard work. Even though it isn't a flash time it is still the time we were aiming for coming over here," he said.

"I said before I came away that I'd take a win and was not fussed if it came by one second or ten, so pretty happy to come away with the result.

"It was definitely harder this time around, mainly because of how I've had to restrict and manage my workload so my shoulder could get through which meant I was a little under done. But, hey, I'll take it, a win is a win."

Leslie - Northern Advocate sports editor - describes being back on the podium as a relief.

"You never know what your competitors have been up to since an event like London so pretty happy to see not much movement in the rankings. It means going forward to Rio that I'll have a bit more confidence I think."