2024 Paralympics: USA Wins 2 Golds to Pass Brazil for 4th On the Medal Table, GB Holds Strong

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

With 48 Paralympic and 14 World Records set through the half-way point of the competition, the 2024 Paralympic Games have been full of excitement. Through day 6, Great Britain continues to hold a lead on the medal table with 14 golds, 4 silvers, and 2 bronze medals, combining for 20 medals overall. China and Italy also continue to hold strong, but the US has finally pushed into 4th after earning 2 gold medals on Day 6, bringing their total to 6 gold, 8 silver, 1 bronze, and 15 total medals.

Both of the American swimmers who won gold on Day 6 also brought home Paralympic Records. In the Women’s S3 100m Freestyle, Leanne Smith threw down a huge performance, swimming a time of 1:28.81 to touch the wall first. With her performance, Smith improved upon her silver medal finish in the event from Tokyo. In the race, she was closely followed by Marta Fernandez Infante of Spain, who broke the European Record in the event with a time of 1:30.04.

The other American to strike gold on night 6 was Paralympic newcomer Christie Raleigh-Crossley, who won her first Paralympic gold medal in the Women’s S9 100m Backstroke, swimming to a new Paralympic and Americas Record of 1:07.92. Since starting para-swimming in 2022, Raleigh-Crossley has seen huge drops in many of her events and has made a significant impact on the sport. The mom of three previously swam at both Florida State University and Rowan University.

Two World Records also fell during the session with the first coming as Daria Lukianenko posted a time of 2:37.77 in the Women’s SM11 200m IM to win the event by a second. In addition to setting the World Record, Lukianenko also set a new Paralympic and European Record with her performance.

Continuing an impressive meet, Neutral Paralympic Athlete Ihar Boki dominanted the Men’s S13 200m IM, setting a new World, Paralympic, and European Record in the event with his winning time of 2:02.03.

Day 6 Paralympic Records:

• After setting a new Paralympic Record of 2:05.53 in the Women’s S2 100m Freestyle, Spain’s Teresa Perales lowered that mark during finals, dropping a time of 2:03.84 while finishing 5th in the S3 classification.
• Neutral Paralympic Athlete Yahor Shchalkanau was dominant in the Men’s S9 100 Backstroke, winning the race in a new Paralympic Record of 1:00.76.
• In the Men’s SM11 200 IM, Rogier Dorsman of the Netherlands threw down a gold medal-worthy time of 2:18.36 to set both a new Paralympic and African Record in the event.

Day 6 Contiental Records:

• In the Women’s S9 100m Backstroke, China’s Liu Ying posted a new Asian Record of 1:12.95.
• Another Asian Record fell in the Women’s SM11 200m IM as Ma Jia swam a time of 2:38.70, winning a silver medal in the process.
• Mexican star Angel de Jesus Camacho Ramirez just missed the podium in the Men’s S4 200 freestyle but still managed to set a new Americas Record in the event with a time of 2:55.20.
• Aussie Alex Saffy threw down a new Oceania Record in the Men’s S10 100m Butterfly, touching in a time of 56.61.
• Nathan Hendricks cracked the African Record in the Men’s SM13 200 IM, hitting the wall in a time of 2:17.15 in the final.

Medal Table Through Day 6

Note: The IPC had previously been publishing medal tables included the Neutral Paralympic Athletes (NPC) as a country. However, according to the previous guidelines set by the organization on Neutral Athlete participation in the Parlympic Games, the NPC has been removed from the medal table.