By James Crook

New Zealand swimmer Sophie Pascoe has been named as the IPC Athlete of the MonthSeptember 18 - New Zealand swimmer Sophie Pascoe has been named as the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athlete of the Month for August after taking five golds at the World Championships in Montreal.

Pascoe pulled in 44 per cent of the public vote to overtake British equestrian rider Sophie Christiansen in the final hours to win the closest Athlete of the Month vote to date.

The Christchurch-born swimmer was in unstoppable form in Montreal, taking the world 50 metres freestyle S10, 100m freestyle S10, 100m butterfly S10, 100m breaststroke SB9 and 100m backstroke S10 crowns, setting three world records in the process.

"It gives me something to work toward looking towards Rio," Pascoe said following one of her races in Montreal.

"It's all about perfecting everything now, and doing those little things right.

"London 2012 was a massive high.

"We waited for years for it, and then you come down from it on a low in some stages.

"That happened to me, but then I got out of that and was able to train properly for this meet in Montreal and be in proper position for it."

Sophie Pascoe won five gold medals at the 2013 World Swimming Championships in MontrealSophie Pascoe won five gold medals at the 2013 World Swimming Championships in Montreal

At just 20 years of age, Pascoe is now a six-time Paralympic and 11-time world champion, and her performances contributed considerably to her nation's impressive fourth-place finish at the World Championships.

Along with Christiansen, Pascoe saw off competition from fellow swimmer Olga Sviderska of Ukraine, Chinese wheelchair fencer Yijun Chen, Romanian cyclist Carol-Eduard Novak, Australian swimmer Maddison Elliott and compatriot rower Erik Horrie to take the title.

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