On the final night of swimming at the 2024 Paralympics, Jiang Yuyan claimed her seventh gold medal in Paris to the tune of a world record, breaking the world record in the women’s 100 backstroke S6 (1:19.44). The medal confirmed her as the most decorated athlete at the 2024 Paralympics, a title she’d already clinched with her sixth gold medal from her win in the 400 freestyle S6 the previous day.
Jiang made her Paralympic Games debut in Tokyo after winning five medals as one of the youngest swimmers competing at the 2019 World Championships. In Tokyo, she won the 50 butterfly S6 and the 400 freestyle S6 and took silver in the 100 backstroke S6.
Jiang built on her performance at the Games with another five medals at the 2023 World Championships. Despite her proven success at international competitions, Jiang told the South China Morning Post at the beginning of the 2024 Paralympics that she was “more nervous” in Paris than in Tokyo. “When you’ve trained to a certain level and you know you’re capable of being among the world’s best, it makes you want the medals even more,” she said.
Jiang did not have to wait long to earn her first medal. On the opening night in La Defense Arena, she defended her Paralympic crown in the women’s 50-meter freestyle S6, breaking the Paralympic record in prelims and finals (32.59).
Over the next nine days, Jiang added Paralympic titles in the 100 freestyle S7 (where she swam up a classification), the 400 freestyle S6, the 100 backstroke S6, 50 butterfly S6, the mixed 4×50 freestyle relay 20 points, and the mixed 4×50 medley relay 20 points. She missed medalling in only two of her Paris events: the 200 IM SM6 where she was disqualified and the mixed 4×100 freestyle relay 34 points where China finished sixth.
Her win and world record in the 100 backstroke S6, her final individual event, was a special moment for both her and silver medallist Ellie Marks, who owned the former world record. The moment extended beyond the pool to the mixed zone, where Jiang and Marks shared a tearful hug.
“I’m so proud of her, she’s come such a long way,” Marks said to the IPC after the race. “We got to race each other in Tokyo, and like I’ve told everybody, I’ve always just wanted to be in the pool when someone breaks my world record.”
Reflecting on her achievements in Paris, Jiang told the IPC, “I feel so proud. The Games for me at Paris 2024 has been a perfect experience. The three years of preparation for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games have been a strong foundation for me…[it] gave me more confidence and more experience for these Games. It made sure that I can do well in every race.”
Jiang’s seven gold helped China come from behind against a strong Great Britain squad to win the swimming medal table for the fourth-straight Paralympics. The record for most golds at a single Paralympics is held by American swimmer Trischa Zorn, who won 10 golds at both the 1988 and 1992 Paralympics.
