2024 Paralympics: Long Wins 17th Gold Medal, World Records Fall in Women’s S6/S9 100 Free

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
• Finals Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6

With the 2024 Paralympic Games slowly coming to a close, the final events of the meet are approaching. However, there’s still plenty of time to follow along with all of the Paralympic action, with plenty of fast swims coming on Day 7.

Men’s 100m Freestyle – S12

• World Record: Maksym Veraksa (Ukraine) – 50.91
• Paralympic Record: Maksym Veraksa (Ukraine) – 51.40

Results:

• • Gold: Yaroslav Denysenko (Ukraine) – 53.11
  • Silver: Maksym Veraksa (Ukraine) – 53.64
  • Bronze: Raman Salei (Azerbaijan) – 53.65

Ukraine saw a 1-2 finish as Yaroslav Denysenko held off World and Paralympic Record holder Maksym Veraksa for the gold. Denysenko threw down a time of 53.11, easily clearing the field. However, Veraksa found himself in a tight battle for the silver with Raman Salei. Ultimately, the two swimmers touched .01 apart, with Verasksa taking the silver in 53.64.

Women’s 100m Freestyle – S12

• World Record: Oxana Savchenko (Russia) – 58.41
• Paralympic Record: Oxana Savchenko (Russia) – 58.41

Results:

• • Gold: Maria Carolina Gomes Santiago (Brazil) – 59.30
  • Silver: Anna Stetsenko (Ukraine) – 1:00.39
  • Bronze: Ayano Tsujiuchi (Japan) – 1:01.05

Continuing a strong meet, Maria Carolina Gomes Santiago won another medal, claiming the gold in a time of 59.30 to make herself the only swimmer in the field to break 1:00. Behind her, Ukraine earned its third medal of the session, with Anna Stetsenko throwing down a time of 1:00.39, while Japan’s Ayano Tsujichi posted a 1:01.05 for the bronze.

Men’s 200m Individual Medley – SM14

• World Record: Nicholas Bennett (Canada) – 2:05.97
• Paralympic Record: Reece Dunn (Great Britain) – 2:08.02

Results:

• • Gold: Nicholas Bennett (Canada) – 2:06.05 (PR)
  • Silver: Rhys Darbey (Great Britain) – 2:08.61
  • Bronze: Ricky Betar (Australia) – 2:08.69 (OC)

World Record holder Nicholas Bennett scared his record here, nearly besting his mark of 2:05.97. However, he fell a tenth short, still breaking the Paralympic Record with a 2:06.05 to win gold. Great Britain saw Rhys Darbey claim the silver medal in a 2:08.61, coming in just ahead of Australian Ricky Betar. With his time of 2:08.69, Betar set a new Oceania Record in the event.

Women’s 200m Individual Medley – SM14

• World Record: Valeriia Shabalina (NPA) – 2:18.37
• Paralympic Record: Bethany Furth (Great Britain) – 2:19.55

Results:

• • Gold: Valeriia Shabalina (NPA) – 2:22.40
  • Silver: Poppy Maskill (Great Britain) – 2:23.93
  • Bronze: Aira Kinoshita (Japan) – 2:25.96

Neutral Athlete Valeriia Shabalina was first to the wall, winning gold in a final time of 2:22.40, followed by Great Britain’s Poppy Maskill (2:23.93). From there, Japan’s Aira Kinoshita threw down a time of 2:25.96 for the bronze medal, holding off the rest of the field.

Men’s 400m Freestyle – S8

• World Record: Oliver Hynd (Great Britain) – 4:19.74
• Paralympic Record: Oliver Hynd (Great Britain) – 4:21.89

Results:

• • Gold: Alberto Amodeo (Italy) – 4:23.23
  • Silver: Reid Maxwell (Canada) – 4:23.90 (AM)
  • Bronze: Andrei Nikolaev (NPA) – 4:24.00

Italian star Alberto Amodeo held off charging Canadian Reid Maxwell to secure the victory, posting a time of 4:23.23 in the process. Though he fell short of the gold medal, Maxwell broke the Americas Record in this event with a 4:23.90 to win silver ahead of Andrei Nikolaev (4:24.00)

Women’s 400m Freestyle – S8

• World Record: Lakesisha Patterson (Australia) – 4:40.33
• Paralympic Record: Lakesisha Patterson (Australia) – 4:40.33

Results:

• • Gold: Jessica Long (United States) – 4:48.74
  • Silver: Alice Tai (Great Britain) – 4:52.24
  • Bronze: Xenia Francesca Palazzo (Italy) – 5:00.13

Three things are certain in life: Death, Taxes, and Jessica Long finding her way to the Paralympic podium. Long added her 17th Paralympic gold medal to her collection in dominant fashion, winning the S8 400 freestyle by almost 4 seconds. In her career, Long has featured on the podium of this event at every Paralympics since her 2004 debut, winning gold 3 other times: 2004, 2008, and 2012. In both 2016 and 2021 she won silver, only coming behind fellow American Morgan Stickney. With her 30 career Paralympic medals and 17 golds, Long is now the 6th-most decorated Paralympian of all-time across all sports.

Despite throwing down a great time of 4:52.24, Great Britain’s Alice Tai finished with the silver medal, well ahead of bronze medalist Xenia Francesca Palazzo. Finishing off the podium by only a tenth, Zheng Tingting broke the Asian Record in this race, dropping a time of 5:00.25 in the process.

Men’s 50m Breaststroke – SB2

• World Record: Huang Wenpan (China) – 50.65
• Paralympic Record: Huang Wenpan (China) – 50.65

Results:

• • Gold: Arnulfo Castorena (Mexico) – 59.41
  • Silver: Ismail Barlov (Bosnia & Herzegovina) – 1:02.74
  • Bronze: Grant Patterson (Australia) – 1:04.54

Mexico’s Arnulfo Castorena won the race handily, coming into the wall three seconds ahead of his competition with a time of 59.41. However, it was the silver medalist Ismail Barlov who made history, with the 13-year-old claiming Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first Paralympic medal in swimming. Prior to Barlov’s swim, the country had only ever won 6 medals since first competing in the Paralympic Games in 1996, all coming in the sport of sitting volleyball, but now it will add a seventh medal in a new discipline.

Women’s 50m Breaststroke – SB3

• World Record: Cheng Jiao (China) – 52.65
• Paralympic Record: Monica Boggioni (Italy) – 53.70

Results:

• • Gold: Monica Boggioni (Italy) – 53.25 (PR)
  • Silver: Patricia Pereira dos Santos (Brazil) – 58.31
  • Bronze: Marta Fernandez Infante (Spain) – 58.63

Italian Monica Boggioni bested her own Paralympic Record, dropping a time of 53.25 to slice almost a half second off of her previous mark of 53.70. She fell short of the World Record, but still dominated the race, winning by over 5 seconds. Behind Boggioni, Brazil’s Patricia Pereira dos Santos held off Spain’s Marta Fernandez Infante for silver, swimming times of 58.31 and 58.63, respectively.

Men’s 50m Freestyle – S7

• World Record: Andrii Trusov (Ukraine) – 27.07
• Paralympic Record: Andrii Trusov (Ukraine) – 27.31

Results:

• • Gold: Andrii Trusov (Ukraine) – 26.38 (WR)
  • Silver: Carlos Daniel Serrano Zarate (Colombia) – 27.60
  • Bronze: Egor Efrosinin (NPA) – 28.02

Ukraine’s Andrii Trusov threw down an impressive performance, completely destroying his own World and Paralympic Records in the process. Trusov touched the wall in a time of 26.38 to chop over a half second off his own World Record of 27.07 en route to a gold medal finish. Behinf Trusov, Colombian Carlos Daniel Serrano Zerate threw down a 27.60 for the silver medal, while Neutral Athlete Egor Eforsinin touched in third (28.02)

Back in 7th place, South African Christian Sadie set a new African Record in the event, touching the wall in a time of 28.75.

Women’s 100m Freestyle – S7

• S7 World Record: Jacqueline Freney (Australia) – 1:08.03
• S7 Paralympic Record: Giulia Terzi (Italy) – 1:09.21
• S6 World Record: Jiang Yuyan (China) – 1:10.86
• S6  Paralympic Record: Ellie Marks (USA) – 1:10.98

Results:

• • Gold: Jiang Yuyan (China) – 1:09.68 (S6 WR)
  • Silver: Morgan Stickney (United States) – 1:10.11
  • Bronze: Giulia Terzi (Italy) – 1:10.43

Following a dominant performance in the 50 freestyle earlier in the meet, China’s Jiang Yuyan continued her World Record streak, breaking the S6 World Record in a time of 1:09.68 en route to gold in the S7 class. Yuyan took down her previous World Record of 1:10.86 by over a second with her performance. Behind her, Morgan Stickney won silver in a 1:10.11, finishing ahead of Italian Giulia Terzi (1:10.43).

Women’s 100m Freestyle – S9

• World Record: Alexa Leary (Australia) – 59.60
• Paralympic Record: Alexa Leary (Australia) – 59.60

Results:

• • Gold: Alexa Leary (Australia) – 59.53 (WR)
  • Silver: Christie Raleigh-Crossley (United States) – 1:00.18 (AM)
  • Bronze: Mariana Ribeiro (Brazil) – 1:02.22

Australian Alexa Leary continued the World Record streak, besting her own World and Paralympic Records in the S9 100 freestyle by .07. Leary finished in a time of 59.53, erasing her marks and making her the only swimmer in the field to dip under a minute. After winning her first Paralympic gold a day ago, Christie Raleigh-Crossley added a silver to her collection, swimming an Americas Record of 1:00.18. Brazilian Mariana Ribeiro grabbed third in a time of 1:02.22.

Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay – 49 Points

• World Record: Ukraine – 3:51.85
• Paralympic Record: Russian Paralympic Committee – 3:53.79

 Results:

• • Gold: Ukraine – 3:53.84
  • Silver: Brazil – 3:56.94
  • Bronze: Spain – 3:57.95

Ukraine left little doubt that they would come out on top of the field, claiming the Paralympic gold medal by 3 seconds. The team of Maryna Piddubna, Oleksii Virchenko, Anna Stetsenko, and Yaroslav Denysenko combined for a time of 3:53.84. Behind them, Brazil had a great performance, touching for the silver in 3:56.94, holding off a charging Spanish team (3:57.95).

Back in 6th place, the team from Japan threw down a new Asian Record of 4:07.52.