Tokyo Paralympics Day 7 Prelims: 2 Paralympic and 1 Continental Record(s) Fall

2020 TOKYO SUMMER PARALYMPIC GAMES

EXPLANATION OF PARA CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

  • There are 14 classifications for Paralympic swimmers, typically denoted as “S” followed by a number.
  • “SB” designates an athletes classification for breaststroke events
  • “SM” is for individual medley events
  • Athletes with physical impairments are classified in S1-S10, SB1-SB9, and SM1-SM10 with numbers 1-10 ranging from more severe activity limitations to less severe limitations.
  • Athletes with visual impairments are classified in S/SB11-13.
  • Athletes with intellectual impairments are classified in S/SB14.
  • The Paralympics are not the “Para Olympics” or anything similar. The International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee are separate organizations with separate leadership and separate events that happen to have a partnership to organize their crowned jewels more efficiently.

After 10 World and 18 Paralympic records fell total yesterday, day seven kicked off with a quieter prelims session. A meager two Paralympic records fell during the morning session Tokyo session, along with one continental record.

Day 7 Prelims Highlights:

Great Britain’s Stephen Clegg took the top S12 men’s 100 free seed with a time of 53.84, just five one-hundredths ahead of Azerbaijan’s Raman Salei (53.89). The current World record-holder, Ukraine’s Maksym Veraksa, placed 4th in prelims at 54.26.

Out of the SB2 men’s 50 breast heats, SB1 swimmer Aliaksei Talai of Belarus qualified 6th into the final at 1:24.86, which took down the SB1 Paralympic record of 1:48.31 from the 1992 Barcelona Games. Taking the top seed into the final was Arnulfo Castorena of Mexico at 59.04.

In the SB3 women’s 50 breast heats, Great Britain’s Ellie Challis set a new SB2 Paralympic record with her 10th-place time of 1:10.37. Spain’s Maria Fernandez Infante swam the fastest prelims time at 59.46.

Swimming the No. 3 seed into the S10 men’s 100 fly was Aussie Col Pearse, clocking in a time of 58.23 for a new Oceania continental record. The top seed was swam by Ukrainian Maksym Krypak at 57.74.

More Day 7 Top Seeds:

  • S8 Men’s 400 Free: Matthew Torres (USA), 4:31.77
  • S12 Women’s 100 Free: Daria Pikalova (RPC), 59.48
  • SM14 Men’s 200 IM: Vasyl Krainyk (UKR), 2:11.11
  • SM14 Women’s 200 IM: Valeria Shabalina (RPC), 2:26.84
  • S7 Men’s 50 Free: Andrii Trusov (UKR), 27.44
  • S7 Women’s 100 Free: McKenzie Coan (USA), 1:10.68
  • S9 Women’s 100 Free: Mariana Ribeiro (BRA), 1:03.56

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About Nick Pecoraro

Nick Pecoraro

Nick has had the passion for swimming since his first dive in the water in middle school, immediately falling for breaststroke. Nick had expanded to IM events in his late teens, helping foster a short, but memorable NCAA Div III swim experience at Calvin University. While working on his B.A. …

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