Ben Hance seals mens 100m backstroke (S14) gold after worst year of his life [Video]

Paris: A phone call from Olympian Kyle Chalmers and coach Ash Delaney in Las Vegas helped motivate Ben Hance to back-to-back Paralympic medals on Friday evening just six months after the unexpected death of his father in the “worst year” of the young swimmer’s life.

After breaking the men’s 100m backstroke (S14) world record in the heats, Hance obliterated the field to win by 1.5 seconds – narrowly outside his new lifetime best – before jumping up on the lane rope and pointing to the sky.

Hance, who has an intellectual disability, mouthed the words, ‘I love you dad’ in a heartwarming tribute to his father Tony who passed away in March at the age of 55.

Hance was a pallbearer during an emotional funeral in March, just three months before Australia’s Paralympic swimming trials in Brisbane.

“I …