Tokyo Paralympics Day 8 Records: 5 World and 11 Paralympic Records Broken

2020 TOKYO SUMMER PARALYMPIC GAMES

• When: Pool swimming: Wednesday, August 25 – Friday, September 3, 2021
• Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
• Heats: 9 AM / Finals: 5 PM (Local time)
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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.

Day 8 Prelims

Day 8 Finals

A total of 5 World and 11 Paralympic records fell on day 8 of the Tokyo Paralympics. Among the record-breaking highlights was Italy’s Antonio Fantin, who bettered his own S6 men’s 100 free Paralympic record twice in the same day.

In the S6 men’s 100 free heats , Fantin led with a time of 1:04.16. Two days ago, Fantin led off the 34 points men’s 4×100 free relay with his then-Paralympic record of 1:04.20. Fantin clinched gold in the final with a time of 1:03.71, shaving five one-hundredth off his own May 2021 World record and prelims Paralympic record. Placing fourth in the final was China’s Jia Hongguang, setting a new Asian continental record of 1:05.55.

Earning her third gold medal in Tokyo was Brazil’s Maria Gomes Santiago, setting a new Paralympic record of 1:14.89 to win the SB12 women’s 100 breast final. The former record of 1:16.38 has stood since 2012. Gomes Santiago also won golds in the 50 free and 100 free finals.

In the SB11 women’s 100 breast heats, Cyprus’ Karolina Pelendritou set a new European continental record with the No. 2 prelims time of 1:24.54. Pelendritou then won her first Paralympic title since 2008 in the final by smashing her own prelims Paralympic record the 1:22.36 World record with a time of 1:19.78. Taking a narrow silver medal for a new Asian record was China’s Ma Jia (1:19.82).

Canada’s Aurelie Rivard took a second Paralympic title in Tokyo, following her 100 free title, by taking the S10 women’s 400 free final at 4:24.08. Rivard set the former Paralympic record in 2016 at 4:29.96 before bettering her mark in 2018 with the now-broken 4:29.27 World record.

In the SB13 men’s 100 breast heats, Germany’s Taliso Engel chipped 0.06s off the 2013 World record with a new standard of 1:03.52. Placing second was USA’s David Henry Abrahams, establishing a new Americas continental record of 1:04.04. In the final, Engel took the SB13 men’s 100 breast final with a time of 1:02.97 while Abrahams secured silver at 1:04.38.

In the S5 men’s 50 free, China’s Yuan Weiyei top prelims swim of 31.30 bettered the 2012 Paralympic record of 32.05 as well as established a new Asian continental record. Then in the final, country-mate Zheng Tao picked up his third Paralympic title in Tokyo by winning the final in a new Paralympic and Asian record of 30.31.

In the SB7 men’s 100 breast, Colombia’s Carlos Serrano Zarate took down the 2016 Paralympic record of 1:12.50 with the top time of 1:12.01. Taking silver was RPC’s Egor Efrosinin, stopping the clock at 1:16.43 for a new European record.

Azerbaijan’s Vali Israfilov took down the 2016 SB12 men’s 100 breast Paralympic record at 1:04.86, which formerly stood at 1:06.82.

More Day 8 Continental Records:

• In the S10 men’s 400 free, Australia’s Thomas Gallagher took bronze with a new Oceanian record of 4:03.91.
• RPC’s Andrei Kalina set a new European record in the SM9 men’s 200 IM final with his winning time of 2:14.90.
• Setting a new European record en route a gold medal in the SB13 women’s 100 breast final was Germany’s Elena Krawzow at 1:13.46. USA’s Colleen Young took the bronze medal at 1:15.69, a new Americas continental record.

DAY 8 MEDAL TABLE