Despite injury, Priya Cooper still owned the S8 400m freestyle

Priya Cooper had been the star of the Australian swim team at the 1992 and 1996 Paralympics and the expectations were high leading into the Sydney summer Paralympics. Cooper moved to Sydney 18 months out from the Games to maximise her preparation. However, she was plagued by a shoulder injury in the lead-up to the Games which severely hampered her performance in Sydney. Nonetheless, she won gold in the 400m freestyle, an event she had dominated in her class for almost 10 years.