Push Admin

Construction workers operate on the Place de la Concorde Paralympic site in Paris, on August 21, 2024, ahead of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Dimitar Dilkoff, AFP

Construction workers operate on the Place de la Concorde Paralympic site in Paris, on August 21, 2024, ahead of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. - The Place de la Concorde will be hosting the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games opening ceremony on August 28, 2024. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP)

Article (news)

PARIS 2024

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1725337169185AFP__20240821__36EH2NC__v4__Preview__TopshotFranceOlyParis2024ParalympicsVenue.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Construction workers operate on the Place de la Concorde Paralympic site in Paris, on August 21, 2024, ahead of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Dimitar Dilkoff, AFP"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Construction workers operate on the Place de la Concorde Paralympic site in Paris, on August 21, 2024, ahead of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. <em>Dimitar Dilkoff, AFP</em></span></span></span></div><p>PARIS, France -- Brazilian swimmer Gabrielzinho won a remarkable third swimming gold at the Paris Paralympics on Monday while Italian sprinter Valentina Petrillo became the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the Games.</p><p>Sherman Guity of Costa Rica left the world&#x27;s fastest amputee sprinters in his wake as he won the eagerly awaited men&#x27;s T64 100m, while 19-year-old Californian sprinter-jumper Ezra Frech claimed the first of what promises to be many track and field golds.</p><p>All eyes were on the pool at La Defense Arena to see 22-year-old Gabrielzinho complete a golden treble with victory in the 200 meters freestyle S2 final.</p><p>Gabrielzinho, who has no arms or hands and whose legs are atrophied, clocked 3min 58.92sec ahead of neutral athlete Vladimir Danilenko.</p><p>The third gold for the Brazilian, whose full name is Gabriel Geraldo dos Santos Araujo, follows his successes in the 100m backstroke and 50m backstroke.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s a feeling of a mission accomplished, a duty accomplished. Because I came to Paris to get the three golds,&quot; said Gabrielzinho, who has become one of the faces of these Games.</p><p>In another outstanding swimming feat, Belarusian Ihar Boki won the 20th Paralympic gold of his career by winning the 50m freestyle for the visually impaired.</p><p>On the track at the Stade de France, transgender sprinter Petrillo, 50, finished second in her heat of the T12 400 meters for the visually impaired, qualifying for the semi-finals.</p><p>But that proved a step too far and the Italian was eliminated despite running a personal best 57.58sec as she placed third and outside the places for the final.</p><p>Petrillo suffers from Stargardt disease, a genetic retinal condition which leads to progressive loss of vision.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/8/29/paris-paralympics-open-in-blaze-of-hope-and-inclusivity-1644">READ: Paris Paralympics open in blaze of hope and inclusivity</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/2024/8/28/psc-chief-challenges-paralympians-to-be-inspirations-1814">READ: PSC chief challenges Paralympians to be inspirations</a></div><div><strong>- Amputee speed merchants -</strong></div><p>Guity charged to a clear victory in the men&#x27;s T64 100m, clocking a Paralympic record of 10.65sec ahead of world champion Maxcel Amo Manu from Italy who timed 10.76sec.</p><p>Reigning champion Felix Streng of Germany had to settle for the bronze medal one hundredth of a second further back.</p><p>&quot;I am very happy with this result. I didn&#x27;t expect it. I ran against very strong athletes. It was a Paralympic final and I had to give it my all,&quot; 27-year-old Guity said.</p><p>Two-time champion Jonnie Peacock of Great Britain was fifth and US sprinter Hunter Woodhall, whose wife is newly crowned women&#x27;s Olympic long jump champion Tara Davis-Woodhall, was sixth.</p><p>A new sprint star was born as Frech won a closely-fought T63 100m final in a personal best 12.06sec.</p><p>The Californian, an above-the-knee amputee, roared with delight and ran into the arms of his family in the front row.</p><p>Frech revealed he had only been using the 100m as preparation for his favorite event, the high jump.</p><p>&quot;I was treating this as like a warm-up for high jump. Go out there, get the blood flowing, have a good race, and then come back tomorrow and win high jump,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;But at about 50 meters, I was like, whoa, I&#x27;m in this, I got a good start, I&#x27;ve done everything right... I felt like everybody (else in the race) was sleeping on me.&quot;</p><p>He pledged to make it double gold on Tuesday: &quot;I&#x27;m definitely not satisfied. I&#x27;m still hungry. Tomorrow night, I&#x27;ll get the gold in the high jump.&quot;</p><p>The triathlon events went ahead after being postponed for 24 hours because of concerns about the water quality of the River Seine.</p><p>France&#x27;s Alexis Hanquinquant started these Paralympics as a flag bearer for his country and lighting the cauldron at the opening ceremony -- on Monday he finished it by retaining his triathlon title.</p><p>After defending the PTS4 title he won at Tokyo 2020, Hanquinquant, whose leg was amputated below the knee after a work accident, said: &quot;They&#x27;ve been the perfect Games for me.&quot;</p><p>In the wheelchair rugby final, Japan beat three-time champions the USA 48-41 to claim their first Paralympics title.</p><p>Katsuya Hashimoto scored 19 tries for Japan, who had secured bronze in the past two Games.</p><p>In the medals table, leaders China added another 10 golds to move onto 43 with Great Britain second on 29 golds. The USA are third with 13 golds.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TepxC5LXzrk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Brazilian swimmer Gabrielzinho won a remarkable third swimming gold at the Paris Paralympics on Monday while Italian sprinter Valentina Petrillo became the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the Games.</p>

Brazilian swimmer Gabrielzinho won a remarkable third swimming gold at the Paris Paralympics on Monday while Italian sprinter Valentina Petrillo became the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the Games.

Brazilian swimmer seals golden Paralympic treble, transgender sprinter makes history

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Sports

Brazilian swimmer seals golden Paralympic treble, transgender sprinter makes history

Agence France-Presse,

Pirate Irwin

Published Sep 03, 2024 12:20 PM PHT

Read More:

abssports

ABSNews

Paris Paralympics

2024 Paralympics

Paralympic Games

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.