Kelley on London2012.com | Making a Splash - Northeastern News (2009) | Kelley's Interview with Northeastern Before the Paralympics (2012)

Northeastern senior Kelley Becherer, competing in her third Paralympic Games, swam in four different meets (50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 100m breaststroke and 200m individual medley), and made a hugh splash for Team USA. Becherer earned two gold medals (50m freestyle and 100m freestyle) and two bronze medals (200m individual medley and 100m breaststroke) in London.

50m Freestyle
The Sheboygan, Wis., native set a new American record in the pool twice in one day during the 50m freestyle with her 27.70 time in Heat 2 to qualify for the finals. Just hours later, she smashed that record with her own personal best, 27.46 -- just .12 off the Paralympic record set in 1996.

Becherer swam in Heat 2 of the 50m free, beating out the Ukraine's Iryna Balashova who finished in second, 1.17 behind the American. Becherer had some stiff competition, however, in the finals when she went head-to-head with Australia's Prue Watt, who just set the Oceanic Record with her 27.75 time in Heat 1, and Canada's Valerie Grand-Maison. Grand-Maison took silver with her 27.91, and Watt earned the bronze with a 27.94 mark.

100m Freestyle
Sunday, Becherer turned her attention to the 100m freestyle, earning some familiar results. Becherer swam faster than anyone else in the preliminary heats, vaulting her into yet another finals. Becherer was one of three Americans in the 100m free, including Colleen Young and Rebecca Anne Meyers, but the Husky asserted herself as the one to beat with her 1:00.23 time. She carried that momentum into the finals, swimming the only sub-1:00 time at 59:56. Once again, Grand-Maison took silver and American Meyers finished with the bronze.

200m Ind. Medley
Becherer picked up competition again on Friday morning in London with the 200 meter individual medley. Even though it isn't the Husky's strongest competition (that would be the freestyle event), but she finished first in her heat and had the second-best time overall with a 2:34.00 swim. At 8:30 p.m. London time, Becherer swam in the finals alongside some familiar opponents. She swam a better time than her heat, but the competition was up to the challenge as well. Canada's Valerie Grand-Maison claimed gold with a new world-record time of 2:27.64. Fellow American teammate Rebecca Anne Meyers edged Becherer out by .23 for the silver medal, leaving the Husky with the bronze for her third medal of the Paralympics.


100m Breaststroke
Saturday concluded things for Becherer, but with memorable success. After finishing with a Heat 1-best 1:22.51 to advance to her fourth finals in four events, the senior beat her own time by just over a second to claim the 100m bronze -- her fourth medal of 2012. Becherer finished in third behind Prue Watt of Australia (gold) and Elena Krawzow of Germany (silver), who set Oceanic and European records, respectively, with their swims.

GoNU.com will have updates for Becherer every step of the way, but be sure to follow Northeastern athletics (@GoNUathletics) and Northeastern swimming and diving (@GoNUwswimming) on Twitter for updates and commentary.

Date	Event	Rank	Results
Sept. 1	50m Freestyle - Heat 2	1	27.70*
Sept. 1	50m Freestyle - Finals	1	27.46*•
Sept. 2	100m Freestyle - Heat 2	1	1:00.23
Sept. 2	100m Freestyle - Finals	1	59:56•
Sept. 7	200m Ind. Medley - Heat 2	2	2:34.00
Sept. 7	200m Ind. Medley - Finals	3	2:30.36ª
Sept. 8	100m Breaststroke - Heat 1	1	1:22.51
Sept. 8	100m Breaststroke - Finals	3	1:21.50ª

*American Record
• Gold Medal
ª Bronze Medal