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.
During the last finals session of the Tokyo Paralympics, American Jessica Long has earned her 29th Paralympic medal and 16th Paralympic gold medal, remaining the second-most decorated Paralympian in American history. The most decorated U.S. Paralympian is fellow swimmer Trischa Zorn, who picked up 55 medals (41 that were gold) across seven Paralympics between 1980 and 2004.
Long clinched her third title and sixth medal in Tokyo with her top S8 women’s 100 fly time of 1:09.87, just 0.93s ahead of runner-up RPC’s Viktoria Ishchiulova (1:10.80). Taking the bronze medal was Colombia’s Laura Gonzalez Rodriguez (1:20.93), 0.08s ahead of Spain’s Nahia Zudaire Borrezo (1:21.01).
All of Long’s Tokyo Medals
- Gold, SM8 women’s 200 IM
- Bronze, S8 women’s 100 back
- Silver, S8 women’s 400 free
- Silver, SB7 women’s 100 breast
- Gold, 34 points women’s 4×100 medley relay
- Gold, S8 women’s 100 fly
Another swimmer that dazzled the last finals session of these Paralympics was Raman Salei, who won his third title and Azerbaijan’s 4th medal in Tokyo. Salei took the S12 men’s 100 fly final with a time of 57.81, just 0.06s ahead of Great Britain’s Stephen Clogg (57.87) and 0.84s ahead of RPC’s Roman Makarov (58.65). Previously, Salei won gold in the S12 men’s 100 back and 100 free. Placing sixth in the final for a new Oceanian continental record was Australia’s Braeden Jason (59.01).
More Day 10 Highlights
Kicking things off in the SM10 men’s 200 IM final was Ukraine’s Makysm Krypak, swimming a new Paralympic record of 2:05.68 to take the gold medal. Swimming in two seconds later was Italy’s Stefano Raimondi for silver at 2:07.68 while the Netherlands’ Bas Takken took the bronze medal at 2:11.39.
Shaving five one-hundredths off the 2016 Paralympic record to win the SM10 women’s 200 IM final was Chantelle Zijderveld of the Netherlands, touching the wall at 2:24.85. Hungary’s Bianka Pap (2:26.12) and the Netherlands’ Lisa Kruger (2:27.86) rounded out the top three as Canada’s Aurelie Rivard set a new Americas record of 2:28.73.
Three swimmers swam under the 2016 S6 women’s 100 back World record of 1:21.43 during the final. USA’s Elizabeth Marks touched the wall first at 1:19.57, the first sub-1:20 mark in class history. China’s Jiang Yuyan set a new Asian record at 1:20.65 for silver while Germany’s Verena Schott set a European record at 1:21.16.
Breaking 33 seconds for the first time in the S7 women’s 50 fly final was Canada’s Danielle Dorris, dropping a half second from prelims at 32.99 for the gold. USA’s Mallory Weggemann (34.30) touched two one-hundredths ahead of Italy’s Giulia Terzi (34.32) for the silver. Terzi’s time was good enough for a new European record.
Clipping a half second off of his own World record was RPC’s Roman Zhdanov, winning the S4 men’s 50 back final at 40.99. Taking the silver by 0.27s was Czech Republic’s Arnost Petracek at 41.26 while Mexico’s Angel Camacho Ramirez took the bronze at 43.25.
In the S4 women’s 50 back final, China’s Liu Yu took down her own prelims World record of 45.81 to win the final at 44.68. Country-mate Zhou Yanfei took the silver medal at 48.42 while Greece’s Alexandra Stamatopoulou also broke 50 seconds for bronze at 49.63.
Shaving a mere five one-hundredths off her prelims Paralympic record to take the S11 women’s 100 free final was China’s Li Guizhi, setting a new Asian record at 1:05.87. The difference between second and third place was just one one-hundredth of a second. Taking the silver medal was Liesette Bruinsma of the Netherlands, edging out China’s Cai Liwen 1:06.55 to 1:06.56. Placing fourth was USA’s Anastasia Pagonis, setting a new Americas record of 1:06.65, just 0.09s outside earning another medal.
In the last event of the entire ten-day meet, the 34 points men’s 4×100 medley relay, two different World records were broken. Leading off for RPC was Bogdan Mozgovoi, who broke the S9 men’s 100 back World record at 1:01.00. He was then followed by Andrei Kalina, Alexander Skaliukh, and Andrei Nikolaev, combining for a new relay World record time of 4:06.59. Australia swam 4:06.59 for the silver medal, a new European record, while Italy earned the bronze medal at 4:11.20.
At the end of the session, 6 World and 9 Paralympics were broken.
More Day 10 Medalists
- China’s Jia Hongguang won the S6 men’s 100 back final with a time of 1:12.72, more than two seconds ahead of top-three finishers Argentina’s Matias de Andrade (1:15.40) and Croatia’s Dino Sinovcic (1:15.74).
- Breaking his own Americas continental record from prelims to secure S8 men’s 100 fly gold was USA’s Robert Griswold, stopping the clock at 1:02.03. China’s Yang Feng took the silver medal by 0.03s over Ukraine’s Denys Dubrov, 1:03.20 to 1:03.23.
- Two continental records fell during the S7 men’s 50 fly final. Taking the title was USA’s Evan Austin, touching 0.05s ahead of Ukraine’s Andrii Trusov, 28.98 to 29.03. Austin’s time established a new Americas records while Trusov’s swim set a new European record. Taking third place was Colombia’s Carlos Serrano Zarate, touching at 29.34.
- Ukraine’s Denys Ostapchenko made his move on the third 50 to take the Paralympic title in the S3 men’s 200 free at 3:21.62. Finishing 2-3 for Mexico were Diego Lopez Diaz (3:23.57) and Jesus Hernandez Hernandez (3:23.93).
- Setting a new Asian record to win the SM5 women’s 200 IM was China’s Lu Dong at 3:20.53, just 0.27s ahead of country-mate Cheng Jiao. Italy’s Monica Boggioni rounded out the top three times at 3:39.50.
- Japan finished 1-2 in the final individual event of the session, the S11 men’s 100 fly, where Keiichi Kimura (1:02.57) and Uchu Tomita (1:03.59) earned the gold and silver medals. Finishing with the bronze medal was Brazil’s Wendell Pereira (1:05.20).
Final Medal Table
| Rank | Team/NPC | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank By Total |
| 1 | China | 19 | 19 | 18 | 56 | 1 |
| 2 | RPC | 17 | 14 | 18 | 49 | 2 |
| 3 | USA | 15 | 10 | 10 | 35 | 5 |
| 4 | Ukraine | 14 | 18 | 11 | 43 | 3 |
| 5 | Italy | 11 | 16 | 12 | 39 | 4 |
| 6 | Australia | 8 | 10 | 15 | 33 | 6 |
| 7 | Great Britain | 8 | 9 | 9 | 26 | 7 |
| 8 | Brazil | 8 | 5 | 10 | 23 | 8 |
| 9 | Israel | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 14 |
| 10 | Netherlands | 5 | 6 | 6 | 17 | 9 |
| 11 | Belarus | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 17 |
| 12 | Azerbaijan | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 21 |
| 13 | Japan | 3 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 11 |
| 14 | Hungary | 3 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 16 |
| 15 | Canada | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 14 |
| 16 | Mexico | 3 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 12 |
| 17 | New Zealand | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 18 |
| 18 | Spain | 2 | 9 | 3 | 14 | 10 |
| 19 | Colombia | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 12 |
| 20 | Germany | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 18 |
| 21 | Singapore | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24 |
| 22 | Chile | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 22 |
| 23 | Ireland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 24 |
| 24 | Cyprus | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 24 |
| 25 | France | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 18 |
| 26 | Argentina | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 24 |
| 27 | Czech Republic | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 29 |
| 28 | Greece | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 22 |
| 29 | Uzbekistan | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 24 |
| 30 | Croatia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 29 |
| 30 | Kazakhstan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 29 |
| 30 | Lithuania | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 29 |
| 30 | Poland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 29 |
| 30 | Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 29 |
| 30 | Turkey | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 29 |