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.
Six Paralympic records and one World record fell during day 6 prelims of the Tokyo Paralympics. Out of the S3 women’s 100 free heats, S1 swimmer Elif Ildem put up a new Paralympic class record of 3:17.54, chopping 10 seconds off of the 2000 record time of 3:27.47. USA’s Leanne Smith was the top prelims swimmer at 1:42.01.
Kicking off the session with a new Paralympic standard in the S7 men’s 100 back was Argentina’s Pipo Carlomagno, whose time of 1:09.12 also established new Americas/South American continental records. Carlomagno was the only swimmer to break 1:10 as Ukraine’s Andrii Trusov (1:10.20) and RPC’s Andrei Gladkov (1:10.84) rounded out the top three times.
Taking down her own 2019 World record in the S6 women’s 50 fly was China’s Jiang Yuyan, improving her personal best by three-tenths at 34.56. The 2016 Paralympic record of 35.58 also bit the dust. Swimming three-tenths behind No. 2 prelims seed Nicole Turner of Ireland (36.54) was Elizabeth Marks of the USA, setting a new Americas record at 36.84. Former World record-holder Eleanor Robinson of Great Britain qualified 4th into the final at 37.24.
In the S5 men’s 50 back, China’s Ruan Jingsong re-wrote the 2012 Paralympic record of 34.99 with a new time of 33.27. Country-mate Zheng Tao qualified 4th into the final at 37.15, who is the current World record-holder at 32.48 from two months ago. Former event Paralympic record-holder, 27-time Paralympic medalist Brazil’s Daniel Dias, qualified 5th at 37.19.
Breaking a 2008 Paralympic record was China’s Lu Dong, swimming a time of 40.00 to lead the S5 women’s 50 back. Turkish swimmers Sumeyye Boyaci (43.28) and Sevilay Ozturk (44.16) filled in the remaining top three prelims times.
Just missing his own World record by 0.35s but writing a new Paralympic record in the SM11 men’s 200 IM was Rogier Dorsman of the Netherlands, registering a time of 2:20.75. Former Paralympic record-holder, China’s Yang Bozun, qualified second into the final at 2:32.05, far off his former Paralympic record of 2:22.40.
More Day 6 Prelims Top Seeds
- S9 Men’s 100 Back: Yahor Shchalkanau (BLR), 1:02.42
- S9 Women’s 100 Back: Hannah Aspden (USA), 1:09.83
- S4 Men’s 200 Free: Ami Omer Dadaon (ISR), 2:56.66
- S6 Men’s 50 Fly: Wang Jingang (CHN), 30.81
- SM11 Women’s 200 IM: Ma Jia (CHN), 2:47.48
- SM13 Men’s 200 IM: Ihar Boki (BLR), 2:08.24
- SM13 Women’s 200 IM: Carlotta Gilli (ITA), 2:26.52