Alice Tai Para-Swimmer

  • DOB

    31 Jan 1999
  • Coach

    Dave Heathcock
  • Club

    Ealing SC
  • Main event

    Backstroke
  • Best result

    Paralympic Champion
  • Medals (INT/NAT)

    • 19
    • 6
    • 9
Alice Tai 2023 cut

Alice Tai MBE is a Paralympic, World, European and Commonwealth champion who most recently secured a staggering seven gold medals at the World Para Swimming Championships in 2019.

Tai won all but one of the eight events she entered in London, securing gold in the S8 50m, 100m and 400m Freestyle, S8 100m Backstroke, S8 100m Butterfly, 34pt 4x100m Medley Relay and 34pt 4x100m Freestyle Relay. 

The Ealing Swimming Club athlete's eye-catching display backed up an impressive medal haul across 2018, which culminated with her winning four golds in each of her events at the European Para Swimming Championships in Dublin. The victories came in the S8 100m Freestyle, S8 100m Backstroke, S8 100m Butterfly and Women's 34pt 4x100m Medley Relay. 

Those successes were preceeded by two trips to the British Para-Swimming International Meet podium to collect double gold in the MC 100m Freestyle and Backstroke events, as well as silver and gold in those respective events for Team England at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. 

Tai made her Paralympic debut at Rio 2016, a Games in which she claimed a gold - in the Women's 34pts 4x100m Medley Relay - and S10 100m Backstroke bronze at the first time of asking. 

A highly successful debut World Championships at Glasgow 2015 preceded that Paralympic bow, the Poole-born swimmer clinching four medals, including gold in the 34pt 4x100m Medley Relay and a trio of bronzes. Earlier that year, Tai impressed by reaching four finals at the British Para-Swimming International Meet. 

In 2014, Tai made her international breakthrough, qualifying for her first senior British team at a major championship team, courtesy of Youth 100m and 400m Freestyle golds at the British Para-Swimming International Meet in Glasgow, which put her on the plane to the Europeans in Eindhoven.

Still only 15 at the time, she looked at home on the international stage, winning 100m Backstroke silver and 400m Freestyle bronze in the S10 class, before standing on the top step of the international podium for the first time after victory with the British 34pt 4x100m Freestyle Relay quartet.

Tai had made telling progress in 2013, reaching three senior finals at the British International Disability Swimming Championships and then winning MC 50m Freestyle bronze and MC 100m Freestyle silver at the ASA National Championships in Sheffield.

Long Course
Event Year Time/Score Record
S8 50m Freestyle 2019 28.97 WR
S8 100m Freestyle 2018 1:03.66 WR
S8 200m Freestyle 2014 2:18.95
S8 400m Freestyle 2019 4:49.01
S8 50m Backstroke 2019 32.01 WR
S8 100m Backstroke 2019 1:08.04 WR
S8 200m Backstroke 2019 2:31.04 WR
S8 50m Butterfly 2019 30.62
S8 100m Butterfly 2015 1:07.00
SM8 200m Individual Medley 2015 2:40.87
34pt 4x100m Medley Relay 2019 4:36.31 WR
34pt 4x100m Freestyle Relay 2019 4:23.86 ER
Short Course
Event Year Time/Score Record
S8 50m Freestyle 2014 29.49 BR
S8 100m Freestyle 2014 1:02.67
S8 200m Freestyle 2014 2:16.51 BR
S8 400m Freestyle 2014 4:41.22
S8 50m Backstroke 2016 32.34
S8 100m Backstroke 2017 1:07.37
S8 200m Backstroke 2015 2:23.35
S8 50m Butterfly 2014 31.67
S8 100m Butterfly 2016 1:09.18
SM8 100m Individual Medley 2013 1:18.12
SM8 200m Individual Medley 2017 2:41.14
Paralympic Games
Event Year Time/Score Result
S8 100m Backstroke 2024 - Paris 1:09.06 Gold
SM8 200m Individual Medley 2024 - Paris 2:41.29 Bronze
S8 400m Freestyle 2024 - Paris 4:52.24 Silver
S8 50m Freestyle 2024 - Paris 29.91 Gold
S8 100m Butterfly 2024 - Paris 1:13.60 Bronze
S10 100m Freestyle 2016 - Rio 1:04.32 11th
S10 100m Backstroke 2016 - Rio 1:09.39 Bronze
S10 100m Butterfly 2016 - Rio 1:11.92 7th
Women's 4x100m Freestyle Relay 34 Points 2016 - Rio 4:26.95 4th
Women's 4x100m Medley Relay 34 Points 2016 - Rio 4:45.23 Gold
IPC World Championships
Event Year Time/Score Result
S8 100m Backstroke 2023 - Manchester 1:12.11 Gold
S8 50m Freestyle 2023 - Manchester 30.97 Silver
S8 100m Freestyle 2023 - Manchester 1:06.68 Bronze
SB7 100m Breaststroke 2022 - Madeira 1:44.21 6th
S8 100m Freestyle 2022 - Madeira 1:07.16 Silver
Mixed 34pts 4x100m Medley Relay 2022 - Madeira 4:40.58 6th
S8 50m Freestyle 2019 - London 29.55 Gold
S8 100m Freestyle 2019 - London 1:03.77 Gold
S8 400m Freestyle 2019 - London 4:49.01 Gold
S8 100m Backstroke 2019 - London 1:08.04 Gold
S8 100m Butterfly 2019 - London 1:09.76 Gold
SM8 200m Individual Medley 2019 - London 2:51.04 4th
34pt 4x100m Medley Relay 2019 - London 4:36.31 Gold
34pt 4x100m Freestyle Relay 2019 - London 4:23.86 Gold
S10 50m Freestyle 2015 - Glasgow 29.60 10th
S10 100m Freestyle 2015 - Glasgow 1:04.73 9th
S10 400m Freestyle 2015 - Glasgow 4:56.84 9th
S10 100m Backstroke 2015 - Glasgow 1:08.46 Bronze
S10 100m Butterfly 2015 - Glasgow 1:09.57 Bronze
34pt 4x100m Freestyle Relay 2015 - Glasgow 4:29.83 Bronze
34pt 4x100m Medley Relay 2015 - Glasgow 4:59.89 Gold
European Championships
Event Year Time/Score Result
S8 100m Freestyle 2018 - Dublin 1:05.53 Gold
S8 100m Backstroke 2018 - Dublin 1:08.86 Gold
S8 100m Butterfly 2018 - Dublin 1:10.51 Gold
34pt 4x100m Medley Relay 2018 - Dublin 4:53.62 Gold
S10 50m Freestyle 2014 - Eindhoven 29.61 7th
S10 100m Freestyle 2014 - Eindhoven 1:03.94 4th
S10 400m Freestyle 2014 - Eindhoven 4:47.52 Bronze
S10 100m Backstroke 2014 - Eindhoven 1:09.19 Silver
34pt 4x100m Freestyle Relay 2014 - Eindhoven 4;27.21 Gold
Commonwealth Games
Event Year Time/Score Result
S9 (S8) 100m Freestyle 2022 - Birmingham 1:07.10 6th
S8 100m Backstroke 2022 - Birmingham 1:13.64 Gold
100m Backstroke 2018 - Gold Coast 1:08.77 Gold
100m Freestyle 2018 - Gold Coast 1:03.07 Silver
Aquatics GB Swimming Championships
Event Year Time/Score Result
MC 100m Backstroke 2024 - London 1:10.67 Gold
MC 50m Freestyle 2024 - London 30.63 Gold
MC 400m Freestyle 2024 - London 5:09.44 5th
MC 100m Freestyle 2024 - London 1:05.43 Silver
British Para-Swimming International Meet
Event Year Time/Score Result
MC 100m Freestyle 2021 - Sheffield 1:05.61 6th
MC 100m Breaststroke 2021 - Sheffield 1:38.73 13th
MC 100m Freestyle 2018 - Sheffield 1:03.66 Gold
MC 100m Backstroke 2018 - Sheffield 1:08.26 Gold
MC100m Breaststroke 2018 - Sheffield 1:42.52 50th
MC 50m Freestyle 2016 - Glasgow 36.75 9th
MC 100m Freestyle 2016 - Glasgow 1:05.68 10th
MC 100m Backstroke 2016 - Glasgow 1:09.14 4th
MC 100m Butterfly 2016 - Glasgow 1:10.69 Bronze
MC 50m Freestyle 2015 - Glasgow 29.77 9th
MC 100m Freestyle 2015 - Glasgow 1:04.05 6th
MC 400m Freestyle 2015 4:55.99 5th
MC 100m Backstroke 2015 - Glasgow 1:09.29 7th
MC 100m Butterfly 2015 - Glasgow 1:10.68 4th
MC 50m Freestyle 2014 - Glasgow 30.65 27th
MC 100m Backstroke 2014 - Glasgow 1:09.85 8th
MC 50m Freestyle 2013 - Sheffield 30.39 8th
MC 100m Freestyle 2013 - Sheffield 1:05.42 6th
MC 100m Backstroke 2013 - Sheffield 1:12.82 10th
MC 50m Freestyle 2012 - Sheffield 32.68 41st
MC 100m Freestyle 2012 - Sheffield 1:09.58 32nd
MC 400m 2012 - Sheffield 5:16.85 20th
MC 100m Backstroke 2012 - Sheffield 1:12.92 49th