Ellie Simmonds' bid for Paralympic Games glory tops event poll

Swimmer Ellie Simmonds' quest for London 2012 gold is the British public's most highly-anticipated event of the Paralympic Games, it emerged today.

The Walsall 17-year-old's bid for glory in the 100m freestyle has topped a poll to find the event that spectators are most excited to see.

The survey of more than 2,000 people saw 10 per cent choose the swimmer in her 100m swim, followed by seven per cent who picked South African runner Oscar Pistorius when he defends his 400m title.

British athletes Dave Clarke in the visually impaired football, rower Tom Aggar in the men's single sculls, Sarah Storey in the women's road cycling and track cyclist Darren Kenny also featured in the top six most-anticipated events, according to the YouGov poll.

Simmonds, from Aldridge, was catapulted into the public eye when she won the 100m and 400m freestyle at the Beijing Games four years ago and has since picked up numerous world and European titles.

The former Cooper & Jordan pupil said: "I'm completely overwhelmed by all the support and excitement that's already brewing across the UK.

"Knowing that so many Brits are behind us is what's going to make it even more special."

Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of the British Paralympic Association, said: "It's great to see that hosting the Paralympic Games in London this year has really made a difference to the nation's levels of excitement and knowledge.

"We hope the performances of our athletes will inspire even more engagement and excitement."

The research, commissioned by Paralympic sponsor Sainsbury's, also found one in four Brits will be watching the Paralympics for the first time this year.