'There's more racing to be done' - Pascoe's coach

8:54 am on 8 April 2018

Sophie Pascoe was 'pissed off' with a relatively slow race to claim her first Commonwealth Games gold, her coach says.

Pascoe went into the race as the favourite, as both the reigning Paralympic champion and the defending champion from the Glasgow Games four years ago.

She finished more than two body-lengths ahead of silver medallist Aurelie Rivard but was about three seconds off her world record time of 2:24.90s.

Coach Roly Crichton said Pascoe had set herself very high standards.

"She's a little pissed off because she worked so hard … and she's disappointed but compared with Olympics, that's [an] inside [pool], this is outside and it's bloody late at night.

"So we're not looking for excuses, but she still got across the line first."

Crichton said Pascoe would be checked out by the team doctor after hitting her hand during a turn in the final.

"When she touched the wall with her hand she bent her fingers back, so we're just going back to the village to check them out with the doctor, because she's a tough woman and when she says it's okay, she might not be."

He did not believe it was a major injury though.

"We've got tape on them and a bit of ice… We'll just go back and go through precautions."

Despite Pascoe's disappointment with her time, they were happy to bag the gold after what had already been a big Games.

"Hell, she led New Zealand in with the flag," Crichton said.

"That's huge and I called that race one, because we had to get over that - we didn't get back to the village until quite late and then the next morning I had her in the pool by 6.30am, and by 7.30am her feet were back on the ground, I tell you."

Crichton would continue to work Pascoe hard ahead of the SB9 100m breaststroke race on Monday, he said.

"We don't celebrate - we'll go back, have a feed, have a good sleep, and we'll train tomorrow, because there's more racing to be done."