2024 Paralympic Games: Raleigh-Crossley Opens Meet with S10 50 Free WR (Day 1 Prelims Recap)

2024 SUMMER PARALYMPIC GAMES

• August 28 – September 8, 2024
  • Swimming: August 29 – September 7, 2024
• La Défense Arena – Paris, France
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Full Schedule
• How To Watch

In a post Olympic slump? Don’t worry, it’s finally time for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. The first events of the meet were completed early Thursday morning, featuring heats of the Men’s 400m Freestyle – S9, Women’s 400m Freestyle – S9, Men’s 100m Backstroke – S2, Women’s 100m Backstroke – S2, Men’s 100m Butterfly – S14, Women’s 100m Butterfly – S14, Women’s 50m Freestyle – S6, Men’s 50m Freestyle – S10, Women’s 50m Freestyle – S10, Men’s 100m Butterfly – S13, Women’s 100m Butterfly – S13, Men’s 200m Freestyle – S5, and the Women’s 200m Freestyle – S5. There was no shortage of records on the first day of action, with several Paralympic Records, and one World Record, falling in dramatic fashion.

Men’s 400m Freestyle – S9 – Heats

• World Record: 4:09.93, Brenden Hall (AUS)
• Paralympic Record: 4:10.25, William Martin (AUS)

Finals Qualifiers:

1. Timothy Hodge (Australia) – 4:19.31
2. Brenden Hall (Australia) – 4:19.49
3. Jacobo Garrido Brun (Spain) – 4:19.53
4. Ugo Didier (France) – 4:21.28
5. Sam de Visser (Belgium) – 4:25.22
6. Simone Barlaam (Italy) – 4:26.30
7. Taiyo Kawabuchi (Japan) – 4:26.51
8. Andrey Ribeiro Woyczak Madeira (Brazil) – 4:27.96

Australia picked-up an early 1-2 lead into the first final of the meet, with Timothy Hodge and World Record holder Brenden Hall coming in with times of 4:19.31 and 4:19.49, respectively. Hall has been as fast as 4:09.93, which currently stands as the S9 World Record. If he can match that speed during finals, he should be the favorite to win gold. Spain’s Hacobo Garrido Brun earned the 3rd seed into the final with a 4:19.53 performance. 

Women’s 400m Freestyle – S9 – Heats

• World Record: 4:23.81, Natalie Du Toit (RSA)
• Paralympic Record:  4:23.81, Natalie Du Toit (RSA)

Finals Qualifiers: 

1. Lakeisha Patterson (Australia) – 4:48.74
2. Zsofia Konkoly (Hungary) – 4:50.20
3. Vittoria Bianco (Italy) – 4:52.26
4. Emma Mecic (Croatia) – 4:53.07
5. Xu Jialing (People’s Republic of China) – 4:53.21
6. Toni Shaw (Great Britain) – 4:53.38
7. Agathe Pauli (France) – 4:54.30
8. Nuria Marques Soto (Spain) – 4:54.74

Australia continued its momentum with Lakeisha Patterson taking the top seed in the Women’s S9 400 free, posting a time of 4:48.74 in prelims to easily advance. Patterson is the defending Paralympic Champion in this event after winning the event in Tokyo. The rest of the pack was a lot closer as Zofia Konkoly of Hungary posted the 2nd-fastest time of the day with a 4:50.20, followed by Vittoria Bianco of Italy (4:52.26). All of the other finals qualifiers dipped under the 4:55 mark out of prelims. 

Men’s 100m Backstroke – S2 – Heats

• World Record: 1:45.25, Zou Liankang (CHN)
• Paralympic Record:  1:45.25, Zou Liankang (CHN)

Finals Qualifiers: 

1. Gabriel Geraldo dos Santos Araujo (Brazil) – 1:59.54
2. Alberto Caroly Abarza Diaz (Chile) – 2:01.74
3. Vladimir Danilenko (Neutral Paralympic Athletes) – 2:02.02
4. Jacek Czech (Poland) – 2:08.06
5. Rodrigo Santillan (Peru) – 2:16.35
6. Cristopher Gregorio Tronco Sanchez (Mexico) – 2:18.75
7. Roman Bondarenko (Ukraine) – 2:19.17
8. Jesus Rey Lopez Cervantes (Mexico) – 2:22.50

In a repeat of Tokyo, all three of the returning medalists found themselves as the top three heading into the final for this event. Gabriel Geraldo dos Santos Araujo, the silver medalist from Tokyo, took the top seed into the final in a time of 1:59.54, the only swimmer in the field to dip under 2:00. Defending Paralympic Champion Alberto Caroly Abarza Diaz will have the second seed in the final after posting a time of 2:01.74, followed by defending bronze medalist Vladimir Danilenko (2:02.02). 

Women’s 100m Backstroke – S2 – Heats

• World Record: 2:07.09, Yip Pin Xiu (SGP)
• Paralympic Record:  2:07.09, Yip Pin Xiu (SGP)

Finals Qualifiers: 

1. Yip Pin Xiu (Singapore) – 2:18.19
2. Haidee Viviana Aceves Perez (Mexico) – 2:22.03
3. Angela Procida (Italy) – 2:26.43
4. Diana Koltsova (Neutral Paralympic Athletes) – 2:27.90
5. Fabiola Ramirez Martinez (Mexico) – 2:32.79
6. Teresa Perales (Spain) – 2:41.55
7. Zsanett Adami-Rozsa (Hungary) – 3:13.67
8. Katarina Draganov-Cordas (Serbia) – 3:29.24

World record holder and defending champion Yip Pin Xiu of Singapore established herself as the favorite in this event, leading the heats in an easy 2:18.19. Despite being over 10 shy of her own world record, Yu still led the rest of the field by almost 4 seconds. Expect her to challenge her own World and Paralympic Record of 2:07.09 during finals. Defending bronze medalist Fabiola Ramirez Martinez of Mexico will also look to defend her medal after qualifying 5th out of prelims in a 2:32.79. 

Men’s 100m Butterfly – S14 – Heats

• World Record: 54.76, Gabriel Bandeira (BRA)
• Paralympic Record: 54.76, Gabriel Bandeira (BRA)

Finals Qualifiers: 

1. William Ellard (Great Britain) – 54.97
2. Alexander Hillhouse (Denmark) – 55.32
3. Benjamin Hance (Australia) – 55.71
4. Gabriel Bandeira (Brazil) – 56.06
5. Naohide Yamaguchi (Japan) – 57.74
6. Dmytro Vanzenko (Ukraine) – 57.94
7. Cameron Vearncombe (Great Britain) – 58.34
8. Robert Isak Jonsson (Iceland) – 58.35

Great Britain’s William Ellard threw down a fantastic performance in the prelims of the Men’s S14 100 butterfly, nearly breaking the World Record in the event. Ellard dropped a time of 54.97 to come just a few tenths shy of Gabriel Bandeira’s World and Paralympic Record mark of 54.76. He will have another opportunity to chase that mark in the final. However, he will certainly be challenged as Denmark’s Alexander Hillhouse also had a strong performance for 2nd out of prelims (55.32), while Bandeira will also be in the final after qualifying 4th (56.06). 

Women’s 100m Butterfly – S14 – Heats

• World Record: 1:03.33, Olivia Newman-Baronius (GBR)/Valeriia Shablina (RUS)
• Paralympic Record:  1:03.59, Valeriia Shablina (NPA)

Finals Qualifiers: 

1. Poppy Maskill (Great Britain) – 1:03.66
2. Yui Lam Chan (Hong Kong, China) – 1:04.32
3. Olivia Newman-Baronius (Great Britain) – 1:05.30
4. Valeriia Shabalina (Neutral Paralympic Athletes) – 1:05.37
5. Aira Kinoshita (Japan) – 1:06.67
6. Paige Leonhardt (Australia) – 1:06.73
7. Louise Fiddes (Great Britain) – 1:07.91
8. Syuci Indriani (Indonesia) – 1:09.71

For the second event in a row, the World Record was nearly broken, this time coming in the women’s S14 100 butterfly. Great Britain’s Poppy Maskill posted a great time of 1:03.66, claiming the top seed out of prelims by nearly a second. Co-World Record holders Olivia Newman-Baronius and Valeriia Shablina will also be in the final, as the two swimmers finished 3rd and 4th this morning, respectively. Both swimmers currently hold the World Record with identical times of 1:03.33, with Shabalina also holding the Paralympic Record in a time of  1:03.59. After previously representing Russia, Shabalina is representing the Neutral Paralympic Athletes at these games, as the Russian contingent has been banned from competing amid the country’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Women’s 50m Freestyle – S6 – Heats

• World Record: 32.55, Anna Hontar (UKR)
• Paralympic Record: 32.70, Jiang Yuyan (CHN)

Finals Qualifiers: 

1. Jiang Yuyan (People’s Republic of China) – 32.70 (PR)
2. Ellie Marks (United States of America) – 33.05
3. Anna Hontar (Ukraine) – 33.70
4. Shelby Newkirk (Canada) – 34.15
5. Nicole Turner (Ireland) – 35.35
6. Nora Meister (Switzerland) – 35.71
7. Mayara Do Amaral Petzold (Brazil) – 35.82
8. Zhu Ji (People’s Republic of China) – 35.95

The first Paralympic Record of the meet has officially fallen as Jiang Yuyan hit the wall in a time of 32.70 in the S6 50 freestyle. With her swim, Yuyan took down Yelyzaveta Mereshko’s previous record of 33.11 from the 2021 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Defending silver medalist Ellie Marks from the USA qualified 2nd behind Yuyan, also getting under the previous Paralympic Record with her time of 33.05, while defending bronze medalist Anna Hontar qualified 3rd with a 33.70. 

Men’s 50m Freestyle – S10 – Heats

• World Record: 23.16, Andre Brasil (BRA)
• Paralympic Record:  23.16, Andre Brasil (BRA)

Finals Qualifiers: 

1. Thomas Gallagher (Australia) – 23.33
2. Stefano Raimondi (Italy) – 23.77
3. Phelipe Andrews Melo Rodrigues (Brazil) – 23.78
4. Rowan Crothers (Australia) – 23.88
5. Ihor Nimchenko (Ukraine) – 24.62
6. Dmitry Grigorev (Neutral Paralympic Athletes) – 24.62
7. Zeiad Tarek Hasby (Egypt) – 24.75
8. Fernando Lu (Canada) – 25.02

Australian Thomas Gallagher led a tight Men’s S10 50 freestyle field as the top 4 finishers were all within a half second of each other, setting up for a great race for the medals. Gallagher posted a time of 23.33, leading by a comfortable margin. However, the battle for silver and bronze looks to be much tighter as Stefano Raimondi, Phelipe Andrews Melo Rodrigues, and Rowan Crothers all were within a tenth of each other, with Raimondi leading the trio with his time of 23.77.

Women’s 50m Freestyle – S10 – Heats

• World Record: 27.37, Aurelie Rivard (CAN)
• Paralympic Record: 27.37, Aurelie Rivard (CAN)

Finals Qualifiers: 

1. Christie Raleigh-Crossley (United States of America) – 27.28 (WR)
2. Aurelie Rivard (Canada) – 27.38
3. Alexa Leary (Australia) – 27.69
4. Chen Yi (People’s Republic of China) – 27.73
5. Alessia Scortechini (Italy) – 27.98
6. Emeline Pierre (France) – 28.18
7. Jasmine Greenwood (Australia) – 28.23
8. Mariana Ribeiro (Brazil) – 28.26

American Christie Raleigh-Crossley dropped the hammer in the heats of the women’s S10 50 freestyle, swimming to a new World Record of 27.28. With her swim, Raleigh-Crossley erased Aurelie Rivard’s previous World and Paralympic Record of 27.37, dropping a tenth of a second off of both marks. Rivard was also extremely close to breaking her previous mark, coming into the wall in a time of 27.38 for the second seed. The pair will duke it out in the finals with both the gold, and likely another World Record, on the line. 

Men’s 100m Butterfly – S13 – Heats

• World Record: 53.72, Ihar Bokl (BLR)
• Paralympic Record: 53.72, Ihar Bokl (BLR)

Finals Qualifiers: 

1. Ihar Boki (Neutral Paralympic Athletes) – 54.23
2. Alex Portal (France) – 55.25
3. Oleksii Virchenko (Ukraine) – 57.25
4. Enrique Jose Alhambra Mollar (Spain) – 57.65
5. Muzaffar Tursunkhujaev (Uzbekistan) – 58.45
6. Nathan Hendricks (South Africa) – 59.51
7. Kirill Pankov (Uzbekistan) – 59.51
8. Juan Ferron Gutierrez (Spain) – 59.58

World Record holder Ihar Boki was controlled through the prelims, ultimately hitting the wall in a time of 54.23 to take the top seed into the final by over a second. In front of a home crowd, France’s Alex Portal claimed the runner-up spot in a time of 55.25. Though he will have a good amount of ground to make up on Boki in the final, if the Olympics taught us anything, it’s that having the home pool advantage certainly helps in these situations. 

Women’s 100m Butterfly – S13 – Heats

• World Record: 1:02.22, Carlotta Gilli (ITA)
• Paralympic Record: 1:02.65, Carlotta Gilli (ITA)

Finals Qualifiers:

1. Grace Nuhfer (United States of America) – 1:03.95
2. Carlotta Gilli (Italy) – 1:04.19
3. Muslima Odilova (Uzbekistan) – 1:05.14
4. Shokhsanamkhon Toshpulativa (Uzbekistan) – 1:05.83
5. Roisin Ni Riain (Ireland) – 1:06.40
6. Olivia Chambers (United States of America) – 1:06.79
7. Joanna Mendak (Poland) – 1:06.88
8. Maria Delgado Nadal (Spain) – 1:06.96

Defending Olympic Champion and World Record holder Carlotta Gilli was extremely controlled through the heats, swimming a time of 1:04.19 to easily make it back to the final. However, she will not be the top seed for the final as American Grace Nuhfer threw together a great swim, finishing first in her heat with a time of 1:03.95 to claim that top spot. The US will have two athletes in the final for the first time this week with Olivia Chambers also qualifying in the 6th spot (1:06.79). 

Men’s 200m Freestyle – S5 – Heats

• World Record: 2:23.65, Francesco Bocciardo (ITA)
• Paralympic Record: 2:26.76, Francesco Bocciardo (ITA)

Finals Qualifiers: 

1. Francesco Bocciardo (Italy) – 2:33.12
2. Kirill Pulver (Neutral Paralympic Athletes) – 2:34.31
3. Antoni Ponce Bertran (Spain) – 2:36.76
4. Oleksandr Komarov (Ukraine) – 2:38.86
5. Jincheng Guo (People’s Republic of China) – 2:44.72
6. Lichao Wang (People’s Republic of China) – 2:46.20
7. Luis Huerta Poza (Spain) – 2:46.54
8. Zeyad Kahil (Egypt) – 2:52.12

Despite being 10 seconds shy of his own World Record, Francesco Bocciardo led the heats of the men’s S5 200 freestyle with relative ease, posting a time of 2:33.12. Bocciardo’s world record stands at 2:23.65, while he also holds the Paralympic Record mark in a time of 2:26.76. He will likely lead the final by a wide margin. However, Kirill Pulver will look to shake things up after dropping a time of 2:34.31 for the 2nd seed in the final.

Women’s 200m Freestyle – S5 – Heats

• S5 World Record: 2:42.36, Tully Kearney (GBR)
• S5 Paralympic Record: 2:44.61, Beatrice Hess (FRA)
• S4 World Record: 2:51.53, Tanja Scholz (GER)
• S4 Paralympic Record: 3:08.53, Tanja Scholz (GER)

Finals Qualifiers: 

1. Tully Kearney (Great Britain) – 2:49.40
2. Monica Boggioni (Italy) – 2:50.56
3. Iryna Poida (Ukraine) – 2:52.04
4. Yu Liu (People’s Republic of China) – 2:55.33
5. Cuan Yao (People’s Republic of China) – 3:03.76
6. Agata Koupilova (Czechia) – 3:06.38
7. Dong Lu (People’s Republic of China) – 3:07.20
8. Tanja Scholz (Germany) – 3:08.53 (S4 PR)

Defending Paralympic silver medalist Tully Kearney posted the top time of the morning with a 2:49.40, taking the top seed into the final by about a second. Kearney also holds the S5 World Record in this event with a time of 2:42.36, which should make her the heavy favorite to claim the gold medal. Notably, S4 swimmer Tanja Scholz of Germany made it back for the final despite competing up a classification, qualifying 8th in a time of 3:08.53, breaking the S4 Paralympic Record in the process.