Anastasia Pagonis Sets World Record in 400 Free at Day 2 of Paralympic Trials

2021 USA PARALYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS – Day 2

• Thursday, June 17 – Saturday, June 19, 2021
• Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Long Course Meters (50M)
• Meet Site
• Psych Sheets
• Pool Diagram
• Day 1 Livestream
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2021 Paralympic Swim Trials”

On the second day of the US Paralympic Trials, Anastasia Pagonis broke the World Record in the S11 400 freestyle twice, first setting it in prelims then later breaking it again in finals. Unlike the US Olympic Trials, this meet does not serve as the main selection meet for the Paralympic Games later this summer. Instead, athletes are selected for the Games by a board that takes into account their performances at both the Trials meet and other meets over the past years.

One of the biggest swims of the day came from one of the meet’s youngest swimmers, with 16-year old Pagonis touching in 4:56.16 in the 400 free to set a new World Record in the event. In prelims, she shattered the former record in the event when she touched in 4:59.28, over 12 seconds faster than Daniela Schulte’s record of 5:11.32 that was set at the 2012 Paralympic Games.

That wasn’t the only record set by Pagonis on the day, as she also picked up an American record on the day when she touched in 1:06.89 in the women’s S11 100 free.

Pagonis said of her swims:

“I’m here to have fun and I think that’s the most important thing, and not let the nerves and the stress take over. I’m just making myself super excited and not putting a lot of pressure on myself.”

Three other American records also fell on the day. In the women’s S3 50 back, Leanne Smith broke the record twice, touching in 55.67 in prelims before dropping over a second in finals for a time of 54.20. In the men’s S13 division, David Abrahms set a new record during prelims when he touched in 56.80. The final American record to fall was the men’s S8 400 free, with Matthew Torres touching in 4:29.52.

In the S7 class, Mackenzie Coan missed the American record in the 400 free in heartbreaking fashion. Finishing just .01 off of the record, Coan touched in 5:04.88. She has twice represented the United States at the Paralympic Games.

The youngest athlete to represent the United States in the pool at the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics, Hannah Aspden, who is only 20-years old, finished with the fastest time in the S9 women’s 100 free. She touched in 1:03.87 to claim gold ahead of notable Paralympic athletes Lizzi Smith and Jessica Long.