Jessica-Jane Applegate

{{Infobox swimmer

| name = Jessica-Jane Applegate
MBE

| image = Jessica-Jane Applegate.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Jessica-Jane Applegate with her gold medal in S14 200m Freestyle after the 2012 Summer Paralympics

| fullname = Jessica-Jane Applegate

| nationality = British

| strokes = freestyle, backstroke

| club = City of Norwich Swimming Club

| collegeteam =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1996|8|22}}

| birth_place = Great Yarmouth, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =

| weight =

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{GBR2}}}}

{{MedalCountry|{{ENG}}}}

}}

Jessica-Jane Applegate MBE (born 22 August 1996{{Cite web |url=https://www.paralympic.org/static/info/montreal/ENG/ZB/ZBB101A_MO2013SW@@@@@@@ENG_number=14832.htm |title=APPLEGATE Jessica-Jane |website=Paralympic.org}}) is a British Paralympic swimmer. Applegate competes in the S14 classification for swimmers with intellectual disabilities, mainly freestyle and backstroke preferring shorter distances. She qualified for the 2012 Summer Paralympics and on 2 September, Applegate won the gold setting a Paralympic record in the S14 200m freestyle.

She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to swimming.{{London Gazette |issue=60367 |date=29 December 2012 |page=24 |supp=y }}{{cite news |url=http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/NY2013-honours-London-2012.pdf |title=2013 New Year's Honours |accessdate=29 December 2012}}

Early life

Applegate was born in 1996 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. She was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and began swimming at a young age after her mother took her to Lowestoft and Oulton Broad Swimming Club.{{cite web |url=http://www.swimming.org/britishswimming/aquatics2012/jessica-applegate/ |title=Meet The Team – Jessica-Jane Applegate |accessdate=2 September 2012 |publisher=swimming.org}}{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/paralympic-sport/9516077/Jessica-Jane-Applegate-become-first-intellectually-disabled-Brit-to-win-gold-at-2012-Paralympic-Games.html |title=Jessica-Jane Applegate become first intellectually disabled Brit to win gold at 2012 Paralympic Games |date=2 September 2012 |accessdate=2 September 2012 |work=The Daily Telegraph |first=Nick |last=Pearce}} Educated at Ormiston Venture Academy, by the age of 13 she was setting regional records and was selected for a UK sporting talent programme.{{cite web |url=http://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/news/disabled_athlete_s_funding_boost_1_470156 |title=Disabled athlete's funding boost |date=30 January 2010 |accessdate=8 September 2012 |publisher=greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk |archive-date=14 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160814160838/http://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/news/disabled_athlete_s_funding_boost_1_470156 |url-status=dead }}

Swimming career

Towards the end of 2011, Applegate was showing potential as an International competitive swimmer, setting the second-fastest world Paralympic time in the 50m and the third fastest in the 200m freestyle at the Wales Winter Open. In 2012, she entered her first overseas tournament at the Berlin Open, taking two bronzes, in the 50m and 100m freestyle.{{cite web |url=http://www.paralympics.org.uk/gb/athletes/jessica-jane-applegate |title=Jessica-Jane Applegate |accessdate=2 September 2012 |publisher=paralympics.org.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902012548/http://www.paralympics.org.uk/gb/athletes/jessica-jane-applegate |archive-date=2 September 2012 |url-status=dead}} Applegate then followed her success in Berlin by taking the gold in the 200m freestyle at the 2012 British Swimming Championship in March. In taking the gold she not only finished four seconds inside the Great Britain Paralympic qualifying time but also set a new British record.{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofnorwichsc.co.uk/index.php/club-news/299-british-gas-swimming-championships-2012 |title=British Gas Swimming Championships 2012 |accessdate=2 September 2012 |publisher=cityofnorwichsc.co.uk |first=Alex |last=Pinniger |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202222132/http://www.cityofnorwichsc.co.uk/index.php/club-news/299-british-gas-swimming-championships-2012 |archivedate=2 February 2014 |df=dmy-all}}

Her last major meet before the Paralympics, the 2012 British International Disability Swimming Championships, saw Applegate win three medals. She took silver in the S14 50m and 100m freestyle races, and then on the last day of the tournament, in a very tight race against Ireland's Bethany Firth, she took gold with a time of 2:15.23.{{cite web |url=http://www.swimming.org/britishswimming/news/disability-swimming/golden-simmonds-brings-curtain-down-on-paralympic-trials/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130415223624/http://www.swimming.org/britishswimming/news/disability-swimming/golden-simmonds-brings-curtain-down-on-paralympic-trials/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 April 2013 |title=Golden Simmonds brings curtain down on Paralympic Trials |accessdate=2 September 2012 |date=8 April 2012 |publisher=swimming.org}} Her results over the prior tournaments saw Applegate qualify for the 2012 Summer Paralympics in both the S14 200m freestyle and 100m backstroke.

In the Paralympics, Applegate's first event was the 100m backstroke on 31 August. She qualified in third place in the heats and then swam a personal best of 1:09.58 in the final to finish just outside the medals in fourth place.{{cite web |url=http://www.swimming.org/britishswimming/aquatics2012/paralympic-news/hynd-brothers-reach-podium-on-day-two/14852/ |title=Hynd brothers reach podium on day two |accessdate=2 September 2012 |date=31 August 2012 |publisher=swimming.org}} In her favoured 200m freestyle, Applegate qualified for the final in first place with a time of 2:14.31. She then improved on this again in the final, coming from behind in the final length to win the gold medal and set a time of 2:12.63, a Paralympic record.

In 2013 Applegate again represented Great Britain when she travelled to Montreal to compete in the IPC World Championships. There she won three medals including a gold in the 200m freestyle. She also took silver in the 200m medley and

bronze in the 100m freestyle.

Applegate represented Great Britain in the 2016 Paralympics in Rio where she won a silver in the women's 200m freestyle S14{{cite web |title=Relive a magical day for ParalympicsGB |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/disability-sport/37163727?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=57d5cfc1e4b0270fef352461%26Gold%20medal%20-%20Bethany%20Firth%20(GB)%26&ns_fee=0#post_57d5cfc1e4b0270fef352461 |website=BBC Sport |access-date=10 August 2022 |date=11 September 2016}} and women's 200m individual medley SM14{{cite web |title=Paralympics 2016: Day 10 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/disability-sport/37163733/page/2 |website=BBC Sport |access-date=10 August 2022 |date=17 September 2016}} and a bronze in the women's 100m backstroke S14.Sport, Disability. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/37311249 "Rio Paralympics: Bethany Firth secures gold medal in world record time"], BBC Sport. 9 September 2016. Retrieved on 10 August 2022.

She was selected for her third Paralympics when she was selected for the postponed 2020 Tokyo Paralympics in July 2021.{{Cite web|last=Armstrong|first=Mark|date=2021-07-01|title=Yarmouth swimmer Jessica-Jane Applegate named in Paralympic team|url=https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/jessica-jane-applegate-named-in-gb-paralympic-squad-8105696|access-date=2021-07-04|website=Eastern Daily Press|language=en-UK}} In Tokyo, she won gold in the Swimming at the 2020 Summer Paralympics – Mixed 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay S14{{cite web |title=Tokyo Paralympics: Maisie Summers-Newton and mixed relay team add swimming golds |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/58367911 |website=BBC Sport |access-date=10 August 2022 |date=28 August 2021}} and bronze in the women's 200m freestyle S14{{cite news |title=Tokyo Paralympics: Bethany Firth takes silver in S14 200m freestyle final |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/58354527 |access-date=10 August 2022 |date=27 August 2021}} and 100m backstroke S14.{{cite web |title=Tokyo Paralympics: Dan Pembroke, Bethany Firth and Ben Watson win golds for Great Britain |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/58418019 |website=BBC Sport |access-date=10 August 2022 |date=2 September 2021}}