Tokyo Paralympics Day 7 Finals: Brit Reece Dunn Earns Third S14 Gold Medal

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.

During day 7 finals of the Tokyo Paralympics, Brit Reece Dunn won his third gold medal and fourth Paralympic medal by breaking the World/Paralmpic records in the SM14 men’s 200 IM final. At the end of the session, 3 World and 6 Paralympic records were set.

Dunn set the first pair of World and Paralympic records of the session in that 200 IM final, where he shaved 0.14s off the 2019 World record with a time of 2:08.02. His time also eclipsed the 2016 Paralympic record of 2:10.29. Also swimming under the former Paralympic record were medalists Brazil’s Gabriel Bandeira (2:09.56) and Ukraine’s Vasyl Krainyk (2:09.92). Bandeira’s silver medal time also established new Americas/South American continental records.

During his post-race interview, Dunn did not know he had broken the World record. “Did I break the world record?! I didn’t even see what time I went!”, exclaimed Dunn. “I knew I was turning quite high up the field, but I had to try to get some lead before the breaststroke. I’ve no idea where I was. I had to max every single length, the first 100m was strong, it felt good. The breaststroke felt the best it has felt for a long time, but I was in agony that last 50m.”

Dunn started the race with a strong opening 100 of 59.52, splitting 26.82 fly and 32.70 back to open up a strong lead into his weakest stroke, breaststroke. After placing second at the 150-mark, Dunn threw down a 29.43 to dominate the entire field and surprise himself with his personal best.

This marks Dunn’s third Paralympic gold in Tokyo, following up from his golds in the mixed 4×100 free relay and 200 free. Dunn also picked up silver in the 100 fly, totaling four medals thus far.

More Day 7 Highlights

RPC’s Valeria Shabalina added a second gold medal to her 100 fly title earlier in the meet by taking the SM14 women’s 200 IM final at 2:20.99. Behind her was a trio of British swimmers, with Bethany Firth (2:23.19) and Louise Fiddes (2:29.21) rounding out the podium. During the preliminaries, Fiddes had won her heat, yet was originally disqualified on a technical infringement. However, the British team was able to successfully overturn her disqualification and put her into the final.

Mexico’s Arnulfo Castorena sealed Paralympic gold in the SB2 men’s 50 breast with the only sub-minute effort of 59.25. Australia’s Grant Patterson added a silver medal to his collection at 1:01.79 while another Mexican swimmer, Jesus Hernandez, picked up bronze at 1:02.27. Placing seventh in the final was SB1 swimmer Aliaksei Talai, who took down his hours-old Paralympic record of 1:24.86 with an effort of 1:23.16.

A plethora of records fell in the S7 women’s 100 free final. Winning the gold medal by taking down the 2012 Paralympic record was Italy’s Giulia Terzi, whose time of 1:09.21 also set the European continental record. USA’s McKenzie Coan earned the silver medal behind Terzi with a time of 1:10.22. Two S6 swimmers tied for third place at 1:11.07, both breaking the 2016 class World and Paralympic records of 1:11.40, courtesy of bronze medalists Ukraine’s Yelyzaveta Mereshko and China’s Jiang Yuyan.

Breaking the 2016 World and Paralympic records in the S10 men’s 100 fly was Ukraine’s Maksym Krypak, touching the wall at 54.15. Italy’s Stefano Raimondi took the silver medal at 55.04 while Australia’s Col Pearse set a new Oceanian record at 57.66 for the bronze medal.

In the 49 points mixed 4×100 free relay, the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) quartet of Ilnur Garipov, Anna Krivshina, Daria Pikalova, and Vladimir Sotnikov set a new Paralympic record at 3:53.79. Brazil finished in silver medal position at 3:54.95 while Ukraine finished in bronze medal position at 3:55.15. Japan finished in seventh at 4:08.66, which set a new Asian continental record.

More Day 7 Medalists

• In the S8 men’s 400 free, RPC’s Andrei Nikolaev and Italy’s Alberto Amodeo closed in 32-mids, yet Nikolaev (4:25.16) was able to hold off Amodeo (4:25.93) for the Paralympic title. USA’s Matthew Torres picked up the bronze medal at 4:28.47, setting a new Americas continental record.
• In the S8 women’s 400 free final, Americans Morgan Stickney (4:42.39) and Jessica Long (4:43.41) finished 1-2 for the USA. This silver medal became Long’s 26th career Paralympic medal and third medal of these Games. Italian Francesca Palazzo picked up the bronze at 4:56.79.
• Azerbaijan earned a second gold medal in Tokyo courtesy of Raman Salei, taking the S12 men’s 100 free by 0.18s over Ukraine’s Maksym Veraksa, 52.69 to 52.87. Great Britain’s Stephen Clegg took the bronze medal with a time of 53.43. Placing fifth in a new Oceanian continental record of 53.78 was Australia’s Braedan Jason.
• It was another tight race to decide the Paralympic champion in the S12 women’s 100 free. Brazil’s Maria Gomes Santiago held off RPC’s Daria Pikalova by 0.12s for the gold medal, 59.01 to 59.13. Great Britain’s Hannah Russell took the bronze medal at 1:00.25.
• Spain’s Marta Fernandez Infante picked up SB3 women’s 50 breast gold in a sub-minute effort of 58.21. RPC’s Nataliia Butkova picked up the silver at 1:00.54 while Mexico’s Nely Miranda Herrera picked up the bronze at 1:01.60.
• Adding another Paralympic title to his 100 back win was Ukraine’s Andrii Trusov, winning the S7 men’s 50 free with a time of 27.43, just off his own World record of 27.07. Taking second place for the silver was Colombia’s Carlos Serrano Zarate, equaling the Americas continental record and setting a new South American record of 27.84. Taking the bronze medal was Ukraine’s Yevhenii Bohodaiko, placing third at 27.99.
• Earning another gold medal for the USA was Mikaela Jenkins, topping the S10 women’s 100 fly final at 1:07.52. Australia’s Jasmine Greenwood picked up the silver medal at 1:07.89, just two one-hundredths ahead of Chantelle Zijderveld of the Netherlands (1:07.91).
• New Zealand’s Sophie Pascoe won the S9 women’s 100 free final with a time of 1:02.37, four-tenths ahead of Spain’s Sarai Gascon, who set a new European record of 1:02.77. Brazil’s Mariana Ribeiro took the bronze medal at 1:03.39, only 0.03s ahead of Great Britain’s Toni Shaw (1:03.42).

Day 7 Medal Table